Quiet Afternoons
by SweetBruiseBois
Summary: movie!bruiseshipping - School has been uninterrupted for a long time, considering that Garmadon has been overthrown. Jay and Cole are attempting to bring their relationship to a new, more public light. Although they are both anxious, they try their hardest to continue serving Ninjago while keeping each other happy.
1. Chapter 1

Cole stood at his locker, listening to music through his headphones as he waited. People passed him and waved, and he waved back slowly, not moving his gaze and only half caring. He was far more concerned with the whereabouts of Jay, who had still not shown up with only ten minutes until the morning bell. He was always early, usually talking with the black ninja for at least a half hour before the school day began. Today, however, was not one of those days. He had tried texting the master of lightning multiple times, but he had gotten no response. That was certainly odd, because he always messaged back right away.

Finally, the shorter boy came around the corner. At first, Cole was happy to see him, but then that smile twisted quickly when he saw his expression. He was on the verge of tears, clutching his arm with a weak smile that easily betrayed his attempt to hide his emotional state. The master of earth immediately stopped the song and put his headphones around his neck.

"Jay, what's going on?" he asked in a hushed voice, rushing over to him. The blue ninja quit grinning and allowed his face to become contorted in a cringe of sorts. He pulled up his sleeve and revealed a long cut on the outside of his forearm that ran almost all the way up from his elbow to his wrist. It was not bleeding, but it still looked red and painful.

"It's just a scratch," Jay assured him. "I asked Sensei if I could have some one-on-one training with him last night and he let me stay at the base. I couldn't find him this morning and went in his study to look for him. I may or may not have knocked over a spear on the wall."

"Jesus, Jay," Cole growled, fear in his gut and determination in his mind. He grabbed his backpack and took his team mate by his uninjured arm, toting him to the bathroom. Nobody really used it in the morning so nobody would ask about the cut and therefore there was no chance of anyone finding out that they were part of the Secret Ninja Force. "You are so lucky that I keep medical supplies on me."

"Why do you have 'em?" the master of lightning wondered. Cole took out everything he would need and set them on the floor.

"Just in case any of us get hurt in battle and we can't get to a hospital immediately," he replied. "Give me your arm. This is going to hurt a little bit." Jay slowly held his hand out for the black ninja to take, and Cole applied antiseptic to his gash that made him wince. Once he had cleaned out the wound, he wrapped it in gauze to assure that nothing else would get into the cut.

"Thanks," said Jay, blinking away his misty eyes. He moved to get up, but the black ninja kept on holding his hand and brought him back down into an embrace. "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"You need to tell me when these things happen to you," Cole instructed him with a stern, yet scared voice. "I texted you three times and you didn't answer me. What if you were in trouble and I just didn't help you because I assumed nothing was wrong? What if I _couldn't_ help you?" Jay sighed and hugged back, resting his head on the taller boy's shoulder.

"You're always such a worry-wart," he sighed with a slight chuckle. "But, I get your point. I'll call you next time I'm late, okay?"

"You'd better," the master of earth huffed. Then, there was silence. It was true that they both shared romantic feelings for each other, but were not exactly open about that fact. Sure, they had their moments in public here and there, but for the longest time they had preferred to keep the matter of their relationship private. Only Sensei and the rest of the team knew about them. While his father did not care about who he dated, Cole knew that Jay's parents loved to gush and brag about their son, and they knew a _lot_ of people who had kids that went to their school. If they were going to go public with their partnership, they did not want it to be revealed like it was some big secret.

However, now that he was here, holding Jay like this, he realized how much he wished that they could do this more often, without the fear of judgement. Honestly, who even cared? This was high school, and they were just two faces in the crowd who wanted to be together. Cole thought for a moment as he listened to Jay's breathing, contemplating what he wanted to do concerning their interpersonal status.

"Hey, Jay?" he mumbled.

"Hmm?" his partner replied. Cole leaned back to conversation distance, but did not remove his hands from their locations on his upper arms.

"Look, I know that we're sitting on the bathroom floor of the boys' bathroom but... I've been thinking," he started casually, despite the butterflies in his stomach. "What do you think about us being more... uh... y'know, _open_ about... this?" He gestured with his hand towards both of them, and Jay's eyes lit up. He looked down sheepishly at the floor, then back up to meet Cole's eyes with a smiling yet serious gaze.

"Well, I've been trying to take it slow, but if you wanna start admitting that we're together I'm fine with it," he answered honestly. "I've been thinking about that, too. We should give it a try." Cole had to fight the dry feeling in his mouth, mustering up as much courage and strength that he had needed when he first confessed to the blue ninja.

"So, what are your boundaries on PDA?" the earth user continued, thankful that Jay was alright with taking things a step forward. The master of lightning went shy again, blushing and darting his eyes around the room before eventually finding his voice.

"N-No kissing," he told Cole. "I'd really like to hold hands and maybe hug and stuff like that, but I don't wanna be that one couple that makes out in B Hall and stands in literally everyone's way between classes." The black ninja laughed at that, pushing a few wavy locks out of Jay's bright blue eyes.

"Okay, no kissing unless it's private," the taller boy affirmed. There was another pause. Jay grinned wide, still trying to hide his embarrassment. Cole took this time to admire the little freckles on his face, and how they moved with his smile. His fluffy hair once again threatened to cover his eyes, but he would quickly brush it away again in order to just keep staring at his adorable, innocent eyes. Finally, Jay seemed to catch him staring, and let go of him to pull the front of his orange scarf over the lower half of his face as he giggled.

"Stop looking at me like that!" the lightning user laughed, squirming when Cole pulled him in for another quick squeeze before gathering the bandages and antiseptic.

"What, I can't appreciate my boyfriend?" he chuckled, and Jay went silent, even more red rushing to his cheeks. Although they were just barely in a hidden location, he took the moment to give the freckled boy a peck on the cheek. "Better get used to the term 'my boyfriend', bluebird."

"Gah, you're too much!" Jay burst out, scrambling to a standing position and turning from Cole as he tried to calm himself. The black ninja waited until he finally spun back around with only a slight tinge of pink to his cheeks. With an equal amount of nerves, the master of earth held out his hand. The smaller boy gingerly held it, allowing himself to be led back out into the hall where more people were starting to show up.

With rapidly beating hearts, they made their way back to their lockers. Nya and Zane were already standing there, and when they saw that they were walking together with intertwined fingers they expressed their excitement.

"I thought you guys didn't wanna tell anyone about this?" the master of water gasped with a big smile.

"Are you two finally making your romantic relationship known?" Zane beamed.

"Well, we were talking and we thought that maybe we should stop bottling all this up and we started listing boundaries and-"

"Yeah," Cole interrupted Jay with a playful nudge. The blue boy was clearly nervous, spouting as much blither as he could into one sentence to mask his fluttering stomach. Nya looked like she was ready to implode with happiness, and although Zane was his usual, generally unreadable self, he could tell that he was just as joyful. "Jay, is it okay if they tell people?" The lightning ninja looked up at Cole in thought for a moment, then back to the two people in front of them.

"It's fine with me," he said, and the water user instantly took out her phone and started texting Kai and Lloyd. "Um... b-but maybe don't make a big deal out of it!"

"Oh, alright," Nya sighed in mock-sadness, but then went right back to being positive while typing away. The bell rang, and they all made their way to class. Cole had to let Jay go so that he could get to his physics class, and he already missed the warmth of his hand. However, he knew that he would be spending more time with him in social studies and lunch with the rest of the gang. For now, he had to go to the one class his father forced him to take: choir. A class that made him groan inwardly whenever he walked into it.

However, he was happy to find that their usual teacher was out for the day, and in her place was a fifty-something substitute who looked like he had given up on all expectations. Their instructions were to simply not bother him. Naturally, Cole put on his headphones and sat back in his seat while he scrolled through his phone. He was not too surprised to see that the group chat had been blowing up with congratulatory statements. The master of earth was not one to talk much over texting, and if he wanted to ask a question or make plans with the others he preferred to just call them. Thankfully, Jay was replying to everyone with thanks for both of them, and he did not have to maneuver the minefield that was his friends' way of poking fun at him.

Because he never texted anything in the chat, whenever he _did_ make an appearance the others would somehow try to milk the experience as much as possible, as if it were a once in a life time opportunity. The number of messages he would receive on those days were borderline ludicrous. He knew that if he texted back now, there would be a new breed of humor at his expense: questions ranging from "When's your guys' next date going to be?" or "Where are you taking Jay next time?" to the _oh so hilarious_ "Did you guys make out?" would flood his screen and he would feel obligated to answer.

He was going through his Brickstagram feed when someone walked in front of him. Cole looked up and bit back a grimace. Kirsten Lin, a girl who used her good looks to bait guys into dating her, only to have her trash them in her social media for something they did not do. If any girl was moving in on her toy at the time, she would ruin their life for the next month. He arched a brow, waiting for her to do something or, hopefully, leave him alone. She pointed to her ears, and with an eye roll he took off his headphones.

"Yeah?" he asked, trying not to sound annoyed. Kirsten smiled wide and tossed her curled, fawn-colored hair.

"Matt Bonnet told me that you've got another one of your killer DJ gigs coming up in a week or so," she grinned.

"And?" Cole sighed, wanting to leave the class and Kirsten far, far behind him. She rocked back on her heels and adjusted her lavender sweater.

"You should totally take me!" the siren mused. The black ninja had to stop himself from scowling at the mere notion, and before he could tell her no she just sat down next to him and slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Um, not to be a downer," he started his reply, shaking off her limb and crossing his legs. "I just don't know you very well."

"That's why we should go together!" Kirsten beamed, once again trying to get closer physically. "We should get to know each other." Cole was officially done with her fake attitude. He had been having a good day, and it was not about to be ruined.

"I'm gonna have to say no," he said, turning to face her one more time. "Sorry." He put his headphones back on and tuned her out, barely seeing her huff and storm off in his peripheral vision. He let out a deep breath and slumped in his chair, suddenly hating choir once more.

A few more minutes passed and he received a text. He had never been more thankful to see Jay's name pop up on the screen. Although he still had a preference for phone calls, he would gladly make himself busy in order to forget the disgusting encounter that he just went through.

 _work day in physics!_ was all the message said. Sometimes Jay seemed to know exactly when he had downtime and would then take the opportunity to start a conversation. Cole typed out, s _ub in choir. got nothing to do_ and sent it off.

Jay replied with, a _response?!_ _\ (ᵔᴥᵔ) / is cole brookstone TEXTING me?!_

 _ikr?!_ Cole joked back. _im just trying to keep the big bad bitch from flirting with me_

 _who?_ the blue ninja asked. The master of earth even shuddered simply typing out her name.

 _kirsten_ he finally sent. _she was trying to get all cozy with me and wanted me to take her to my show at the music fest next week_

 _(◎-◎;)! omg are u ok?_

 _yeah im fine. i told her no. i already have a cute boyfriend that i want to take with me_ Cole waited for the next message, visualizing Jay's pink face that he probably had right now.

 _(*^ω^*)_ _っ❤ im guessing you just asked me out_ the lightning user finally replied.

 _yeah do you wanna go?_

 _OF COURSE_ _!_ Jay texted him. The black ninja chuckled and continued messaging him, passing the hour by with a smile on his face.

* * *

The school day was over before Jay knew it. Now that he was going back home, he had time to plan. His parents worked in the floral shop under their flat, and he was making a list of questions in his mind as he drove. According to his watch, he still had about two hours before he needed to get to the dojo. He adjusted his sleeve to hide the bandages when he parked, and jumped out after grabbing his bag. His mother saw him from the front window, and stopped replacing the flowers in the display to wave at him. He smiled back and opened the door.

"Hi dear," Edna beamed, crossing the room and planting a kiss on his cheek. "How was school?" Jay moved towards the door that led to the living area of the building and sighed, grinning as he recalled the absolutely stellar day he had experienced.

"School was great," he replied, opening the door quickly and setting his backpack on a hook. He returned to the shop and rubbed his hands together, eager to get started. "Mom, I have a bit of a project for you to help me with. Maybe dad can help too, when he gets back." His mother pushed up the bridge of her glasses with a surprised expression.

"What kind of project?" she asked, stepping towards him.

"I need to make the perfect bouquet," he told her. "It's, uh... for this guy that I'm going out with." Edna squealed but forced herself to calm down, picking up her son and giving him a tight hug.

"It it that Cole boy?" she wondered as she tried to contain her happiness. When Jay nodded sheepishly, she pulled him in for another quick embrace. "Oh, I knew he liked you! I mean c'mon, hon', the looks he gives ya-"

" _Mom_ ," he groaned with a slight laugh, shifting her focus back to the task at hand. "I still need to get this bouquet together."

"Right, right," she giggled. "Well, I would go with something simple but sweet. Hmm, but pink and red are overused... Aha!" Edna grabbed Jay's hand and pulled him into a side room that was filled to the brim with flowers. She pulled out a variety of blooms and handed them to him with a giddy face. Finally, she took the whole bunch in her hands and went back into the main shop. As she arranged them, Jay smiled at his mother's impeccable eye. He and Cole had gone to a flower blooming festival a few weeks back with the rest of the ninja team, and had stopped to take a look at nearly every floral stand that they passed. The master of earth admired each petal and pointed out which colors he liked best to him. Apparently, his father had once been a huge gardener, and as a kid would often help him plant and tend to it. Now, his father was far too busy with performances to stay on top of the work, but Cole still liked to keep a small patch in their backyard. How his mother knew exactly what he had picked, he would never know, but nonetheless he was still appreciative of her assistance.

"So, what are all these?" he asked. "I can see some sunflowers and some irises, but what are the rest?"

"Well, I added some champagne roses and coral peonies, and a few hawthorn bunches," Edna explained, completing her preening of the individual flowers. "What do you think?" Jay looked at the collection, taking in each color that complimented its neighbor.

"I think the project is a success," he beamed. "It's perfect! Can I bring it to him right now? We're supposed to be meeting up with a few friends." Edna wrapped the bouquet and handed it to him with a happy smile.

"Of course, dear. Just don't stay out too long, okay?" she told him. He nodded then bolted out the door and back into his truck, carefully setting the blooms on the seat beside him. Once he was in the driver's seat, he pulled out his phone and called Cole. The black ninja picked up in an instant.

"Hey, bluebird," said the master of earth. "What's up?"

"Is it alright if I come over before we head out to train?" he asked, waiting anxiously for the answer. He took one last look at the bundle of flowers and assured himself that he would appreciate them.

"Of course, man," Cole replied. "My dad's not even home, he's out in Jamonikai doing a show."

"Alright, cool!" Jay effused, attempting to suppress his energy. "I'll see you in a few minutes, then."

"See ya." As soon as they both hung up, Jay drove off towards the outskirts of the city. His heart was thumping in his chest, but he was still feeling confident. As he neared his destination, he was thinking about what to say, seeing as he wanted to give him the flowers as a romantic gesture. Unfortunately, he was at a loss for words when he parked. He tried to settle his nerves as he walked up the front sidewalk, but could barely function when he knocked on the door.

 _C'mon, I was so pumped before I left!_ he thought to himself, putting the bouquet behind his back. Cole opened the door with a small grin, and Jay rocked on his heels, scrambling to speak.

"Hi Jay," the black ninja greeted him.

"Uh, h-hi." He attempted to put a sentence together, and tried to maintain eye contact. "I, um... Well, I..." The master of lightning gave up, holding out the blooms in front of him.

"I dunno if you'll like them, but I remembered that you like gardening and at the flower blooming thing you told me what you liked and..." He trailed off as Cole took the gift with a chuckle. The taller ninja smiled at him, then embraced his smaller form. Jay quickly hugged him back, nerves settling as an overjoyed sensation washed over him.

"They're lovely," said Cole. Jay grinned, thankful that he was one of the only people that got to see him in such a warm, open state. Usually he preferred to keep to himself and indulge in music, and it made him appear standoffish. However, the blue ninja was happy to know that this side of the earth user was often reserved just for him. "Let's put these in a vase."


	2. Chapter 2

When Jay had first been in a class with Cole, he had been so worried that the black-haired boy was going to fail his classes because he tuned out the world with his headphones. However, he ended up passing all his classes with a generous margin of success. This year's social studies class was so easy that even if he chose not to do work it would probably not hurt his grade at all. This was the time of day that Garmadon would usually attack, and therefore the teacher was always too worried about incoming threats to do any actual teaching. Even today, when the four-armed pest was no longer a problem, she still fretted over the safety of herself and her class.

Today Mrs. Renga was giving a speech on how the students should protect themselves if a future warlord were to attack Ninjago, and was drawing diagrams on the board like a madwoman. In hindsight, she probably was. Jay used this particular moment of useless information to turn his neck to sneak a glance at Cole. The earth ninja, surprisingly, was not leaning back and letting his music carry him away for the hour. Instead, he was propped forward on one elbow and resting his head against his palm, staring directly at the blue boy with a dreamy expression. As soon as the lightning user turned around, though, he flew back to a sitting position with wide eyes and a prominent blush, pretending to write something down. Jay bit back a laugh, using his signature scarf to cover his red cheeks as he faced forward again.

Nya poked him in the shoulder, and he turned to see her trying not to burst as well. In sync, the two looked back at the black ninja, who was so flustered that he was actually hiding his face in his hands. That set them off, and they had to support themselves on their desks to keep from keeling over.

"Excuse me!" Mrs. Renga snapped, whipping around and glaring at the cackling ninjas. They silenced themselves immediately, watching her fist clench around her piece of chalk. "Do you think this is funny? You two are a part of the group that _never_ followed proper safety precautions! You _always_ went to the bathroom during these emergencies! In fact, I'm pretty sure that you left so you could go get a glimpse of the action! Well, what happens when you get hurt because you don't stay under your desk? What happens when you get captured by generals and soldiers, never to be seen again? _Will you be laughing then?_ "

"No, Mrs. Renga," Nya and Jay said simultaneously, shocked at her sudden rage. The teacher shot them one last icy look, then returned to the board. The master of water rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat, crossing her legs and arms with an air of pure defiance. Jay waited a little longer before he spun his head to regard Cole's state. The earth user was no longer completely embarrassed, but still had a bit of excess color in his face. The black ninja noticed him and smirked, winking at him. It was Jay's turn to straighten and look away, smiling like a lovesick idiot. He was so thankful that the bell rang only a second or two later, because he was sure he would become a giggling mess if he let his thoughts stir any longer. He and Nya pelted for the hallway, letting out their laughter when they got out of the classroom.

"Oh my god!" the noirette wheezed, clutching her stomach.

"Did you see?" Jay snickered.

"I saw!" Nya choked out. They had to lean back to back for support, and when Cole came out with a perturbed, flushed expression they doubled over. The master of earth muttered something unintelligible and took Jay by the hand, leading him away. "Oh, c'mon, Cole!" Nya ushered Kai, Zane, and Lloyd to give chase as the couple went to their lockers to get their lunches, and they got all the way to the cafeteria before they could catch up with them.

"What happened?" Lloyd asked, taking note of the earth user's disgruntled appearance. Jay's stomach hurt from laughing so much, so Nya had to cover for him. She gave Cole a strong pat on the back, beaming at the others.

"This big lug's got it _bad_ for Jay," she practically sneered, although there was no malice behind it. The black ninja groaned and put his headphones on, willing to block everyone in the room, even his boyfriend.

"So that's what the whole flinching thing was about!" Kai called out. "Aww, Cole's got a _crush_." Jay let the black-haired boy hold his hand on top of the lunch table, snorting when Cole gave the master of fire the finger.

"Oh, don't tease him," said the blue ninja, tapping Cole's shoulder. The taller fighter glanced at him, then allowed Jay to softly remove his headphones. "By the way, Lloyd, we have some special training tonight, don't we?" The blonde teen shot him a look, wondering why he was bringing that fact up in such a public place, but still nodded.

"Sparring," said the son of Garmadon. "Haven't done that in a while, have we?" Everyone shook their heads, even Cole. They had been training their individual abilities for some time now, and apparently Master Wu finally wanted them to test them on each other. Jay flickered his gaze to his boyfriend, wondering if he had improved his lightning powers enough to stand his ground against the others. Meanwhile, he knew that Cole's strength alone could prove threatening in a fight, and combined with his quake abilities he would be a tough opponent.

In fact, Cole was outright _dangerous_. Being able to create a sonic boom with just his body was an astonishing amount of force. If he was not careful, he could cause some major damage to his team mates. His raw potential to destroy with the element of earth was treacherous to anything or anyone that stood in his direct path.

The black ninja's thumb ran over his in slow motions, over and over, a soothing touch that helped calm his nerves. Jay leaned his entire body against Cole's side, realizing that even if he was a threat, he was still the boy that he had come to love because of his hidden, sweet nature. It was the reserved yet respectful manner that he listened to the blue ninja, the adorable, dorky way that he would go on for hours about music, his confident attitude, and concealed caring nature that offset his potentially destructive brawn. These traits were what made the master of earth so fascinating and downright attractive to Jay.

The lightning user sighed with a smile, happy that he was so fortunate to even know Cole, much less be dating him.

* * *

"This evening will be spent honing your gifts by using them on your team members," Wu announced, holding his staff in one hand. "The first match will be Jay versus Kai. For safety's sake, I will use protective mantras to keep you from using your power to an extent that would actually hurt your opponent beyond what is necessary." Necessary? Jay did not like the sound of that.

"You've got this, Jay," Cole assured him. Up until this point, the blue ninja had been constantly thinking about these training fights, and although he was anxious, he was glad that the master of earth believed in him.

He pursed his lips and took his position on one side of the dojo, readying his stance as a mirror to Kai's. When their sensei deemed them ready, he struck his staff on the ground to signal the beginning of the sparring match. Instantly, the red ninja dashed to sweep out his feet from under him, but Jay managed to jump over him entirely and whip around in time to counter a second swing in the same area. Jay blocked an incoming punch, and rolled to avoid a high kick.

Seeing an opportunity, the master of lightning activated his powers and summoned enough physical speed to move faster than time allowed for a fraction of a physical second. This window allowed him to grab Kai's arm and throw him over his shoulder with no chance of dodging. However, he knew that the red ninja's iron will would keep him going, and readied himself for another attack. This time, Jay was able to take the incoming kick and flip his attacker over, although the master of fire was ready for that as well, swiftly knocking him off balance by springing back up and into him.

"You are both holding back!" their master called out. "I have seen the beginnings of true power from Jay, but I have yet to see what you have learned, Kai!" The red ninja's fists lit up in flames, and Jay soon found himself standing in the center of a fiery ring that grew closer as time passed by. Every time he jumped out, a new one was placed under him. He could not escape. The lightning user realized that he could not throw a bolt, seeing as it was deemed powerful enough to damage his foe, so he had to result in deflecting punches and leaping from place to place rapidly so that the ring would reappear and stop becoming smaller. The shadows of bruises were already forming on his arms and legs where he blocked attacks.

He understood that eventually his stamina would die out, so he dug deep into his element to look for a way out, a new angle that he had not tried. He focused on Kai's eyes, which were practically glowing with an aura of pure heat and vigor. Dots began to connect in Jay's mind. He jumped backwards three times as far as he could and waited for Kai to approach him again. His pulse was rapid and his mind was steeled, knowing exactly how to turn the tide of the battle.

The fire manipulator dashed towards him, embers running over his fingers. Jay concentrated on the power he could wield, and held up his arm when Kai jumped and swung his hand downwards. Their forearms connected, and the blue ninja let his ability spark. Suddenly, his opponent convulsed just once, the ring that he created dissipating instantly, along with the flames that had been coming off of him. The blue ninja could feel the energy that caused both fire and lightning to become reality being drawn into him. It was a lesson in physics that he actually ended up using outside of high school.

While Kai was unable to use his elemental skills, Jay used every bit of energy that he had taken to rapidly blink across the dojo floor and hit his sparring partner with everything he had, finally stopping when he had kicked him far enough away that he slid backwards and stayed down. He breathed heavily, nearly buzzing from so much natural vitality flooding his senses. He felt like he could conquer the world, and the cheers of his team mates only boosted his confidence. Jay walked over and helped his friend stand.

"Nice one, Sparky," Kai chuckled, clutching his gut and trying to stretch his back out. "Damn, you pack a punch. Didn't know you could land that many hits."

"Neither did I!" exclaimed the blue ninja. Sensei stepped forward, a sagely glint in his gaze.

"You have both done well," Wu told them. "Kai, although you normally could have torched your enemy, you instead were able to trap Jay and make him think more on his feet. Jay, when you were cornered, I saw you tap into your elemental potential and see a new way to manipulate electricity and energy." The two ninjas looked at each other and grinned, giving each other a high five of approval.

Jay looked to the side and saw Cole beckoning him, and after notes and congratulations were exchanged the black ninja said that he was going to get ice packs for the two bruised fighters. With a happy gait, the lightning user followed him. Once they were in a completely separate room, Cole scooped him up and spun him around in the air.

"That was amazing!" he shouted before setting him down and embracing him tightly. Before Jay could reply with even a "thanks", he found his lips captured in a sudden kiss. It was perfectly long, it took his breath away, it made him see stars. When Cole pulled away, the master of lightning was at a loss for words and lightheaded. There was a long pause filled with shocked breaths, then the black ninja cleared his throat and turned his face to mask his redness. "Sorry, I just... I'm really proud of you." This statement made Jay's heart soar, giving him a surge of happiness. He threw his arms around his boyfriend's neck and buried his face into his chest, but immediately hopped back when he felt a large static shock pass through them.

"Sorry! Are you okay?" he fretted. "I probably need to cool down a bit." The master of earth laughed and tipped Jay's chin up so that he could give him a little peck on the lips, chuckling more when he gained another small zap.

"I don't care," he smiled, leading his flustered partner back through the halls to actually go get the ice packs. They pulled some washcloths from some drawers in the small kitchen and ice from the freezer then wrapped the cubes up. Zane and Lloyd were about to fight when they came back outside, and Kai was certainly appreciative of the cold rag against his newly tenderized flesh.

The match nearly ended in a draw. Despite the green ninja's capability to connect and morph nature on a whim, Zane was so calculating that he could hardly land a hit. It took at least ten minutes before the white ninja caught the blonde-haired boy in an ice trap that rendered his limbs immobile. Wu took note of the time and told everyone to go home and get some well deserved rest. Tomorrow was Saturday, and they all planned to do some more rigorous training in the morning. The fatigue of the fight was starting to become more prominent, and his eyes felt more weighted as he went to put away his ninja gear. Jay forgot to stifle his yawn, and the earth user beside him took notice.

"You ready to go home?" he asked the blue ninja. With bleary eyes, he blinked up at his boyfriend and nodded. Cole had drove them both to the monastery, so Jay did not have to worry about getting back when he was so tired. He staggered to the black ninja's car, trying to stay awake and cheerful. Cole's front seats were close enough together that he could lean against the taller boy's shoulder as he drove. Thankfully, as with all things, the earth ninja was confident in his driving abilities, so he put his right arm around him and steered with his left. Jay fought sleep as he experienced a very rare phenomenon: Cole was humming the main parts of new songs he was working on, slow and melodiously. It was beautiful, but also made him dreary with comfort.

"Hey, Cole?" he yawned, and the master of earth ran his calloused hand over his bicep.

"Mhm?"

"Yer voice is... r'lly pretty," he slurred. "I like it."

"Oh?" the black ninja chuckled, obviously embarrassed by his tone. "Thanks, bluebird." It continued on like this until they got home, with soft hums that lulled him to sleep. Jay made sure that he had his keys on him when they got to the street in front of the floral shop, and in the light of twilight Cole gave him one last slow kiss before letting him go inside.

"G'night!" Jay yelled with depleted strength, and the earth ninja waved and drove off. The blue ninja took the steps slowly, then unlocked the door. Once inside he lumbered to the back of the shop, and finally made his way up to his room. He liked to brag about it because the building across the street was just short enough that he could see a vast area of Ninjago City, all the way down to the coastline. At night, it was absolutely breathtaking, and the streets looked like a colony full of sparkling ants. Although he was sleepy, Jay took a few minutes to track certain lights in the distance, watching them disappear around certain buildings then reappear around others. He sighed in awe, then changed into his nightwear before crawling in bed.

* * *

Cole pulled into the driveway, knowing that his father was still out doing shows. When he parked, he let out a slow breath, then lost his cool. Heat rose to his face, he smiled and laughed quietly, and leaned his forehead against the top of the steering wheel. He hardly _ever_ hummed or sang around _anyone_ , mostly because he did not want to be associated with his father by becoming his vocal prodigy, but that did not matter. Jay had called his voice " _pretty_ ". From the few people his father had forced him to sing in front of, they had told him that he had a rich, clear sound or that his voice was honey-like without preparation. Those analytical compliments were nothing like this. The simple word "pretty" actually made him _happy_ that he had chose to let his voice out.

When he got out of the car, he heard a voice from his left that shouted, "'Ey, Brookstone!" Cole looked and saw his neighbor, Tanoshii, who walked over to him with a big smile on his face. He was a very athletic guy, one of the three stars of the school soccer team, but he was certainly not dumb. The boy was nice, and definitely not a guy who deserved to be leeched on by Kirsten. Sadly, the snake had already wrapped herself around him.

"Hey, Tano," he replied. They stood on opposite sides of the fence, facing each other at a fair distance. "Heard you're going out with Kirsten."

"Yeah," Tanoshii chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I actually wanted to ask you a question that she gave me." Cole's dream-like state evaporated, replaced with a gut-wrenching feeling that he forced down.

"What?" he said, plain and simple. There was no need to be hostile. He knew Tanoshii was a good guy, and if he saw something in Kirsten he would be supportive. They had been friends for a while, although not on the level that he had with the members of the Secret Ninja Force.

"So... is Jay Walker, like... gay?" Tano finally asked. He threw his hands up and lost a little color when Cole's jaw tensed. "I mean, its just that Kirsten sees him hanging out with you a lot and kind of, like... uh, makin' advances towards you? Like, I'm cool with him being gay, if he is. Two guys on my team are gay-"

"He's not gay," the black ninja sighed. "He's bi."

"How do you know?" Tanoshii wondered aloud. "Cuz' like, you guys are really good friends, I know that, but when Kirsten told me to ask you that I was like: 'If Walker's gay, he's probably closeted, so how would Cole even know?'."

"I know because he's my _boyfriend_ ," the master of earth announced. He had not told anyone because nobody had asked, but the words felt so _right_ on his tongue. The soccer player paused, looking over his neighbor for a moment. Then, a big smile broke on his face, much to Cole's relief.

"Woah, really?" Tano beamed. "I didn't think you were into guys. Man, I was wondering why Jay brought you flowers the other day."

"You saw that?" Cole muttered, a fresh blush covering his cheeks. He laughed, and Tanoshii gave him a fist bump. "Y'know what? Thanks."

"Thanks for what?" his neighbor asked, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

"For being so... understanding," said the ninja.

"Dude, don't worry about it!" Tano grinned. "I'm just happy that you found somebody! We've lived next door for _years_ , and I was wondering when you were gonna get a girlfriend, or... I guess in this case a boyfriend!" Cole laughed again, unease crumbling inside of him. He had been so worked up over people accepting him when he made their relationship public, but now his cares were gone.

"So, I guess I'll see you Monday," he smiled, and his neighbor nodded.

"Give him a kiss for me!" Tano called out as they both walked back to their homes. Cole threw him a joking thumbs up and went inside.

Silence. Thoughts swimming, nerves buzzing with happiness. He could not sleep now, he was far too energized. A tidal wave of inspiration was coming to him, and he had to write it all down. He experimented with sounds in his room, finally getting past the block that he had been fighting for a long time. That night, he fell asleep with enough joy to last him for months.


	3. Chapter 3

"So, for instance, these solubility rules will usually favor aqueous solutions..."

Zane had invited Cole to come over and study, and for the past hour he had been rather helpful. It was in no way the white ninja's fault that he was not paying attention. There had just been this itch in his mind for at least a week now, and he wanted to get rid of it. The problem was that he just did not know how. The flowers that Jay had given him were sudden, but he still felt guilty that he had not been prepared to give him anything in return. He knew what Jay liked, but he wanted to make sure the gift was _perfect_.

"Cole."

His brows furrowed in concentration. He tapped his pencil's eraser against the book in front of him, thinking up a number of solutions to his dilemma. Unfortunately, none of them seemed to stick.

"Cole."

Baked goods were a nice idea, but in the end he figured that he would end up eating them all before he even got a chance to give Jay any. He did not want to present his partner with any other perishables, either, just in case he could not get the present to him in a timely fashion.

"Cole, it is obvious that you are not paying attention." Zane pressed the pad of his index finger into the center of his forehead, staring directly into his eyes as he startled. "What is on your mind that is preventing you from studying your chemistry?" The master of earth sighed, knowing that the ice user would be able to eventually pry the answer out of him if he resisted.

"I wanna get something for Jay, and I don't mean something simple that you could just give to anyone. It's gotta be _personalized_ , y'know? Something that says, 'This reminds me of you when I look at it.' There are a lot of things to choose from, but I... You can stop poking me now." The white ninja retracted his arm and continued to listen. "I thought that maybe we could incorporate our elements, somehow? But... I dunno, do you think something like that exists?" The boy across from him rolled his head to the side in thought, as if looking far into the distance for an answer.

"I believe I know exactly what you are looking for," Zane said with excitement as he turned back. He had an almost impish grin on his face, holding out his hand and helping Cole up from the carpet of his apartment living room.

"Where to?" Cole asked, following him to the front door. The master of ice walked out and down the stairs with the black ninja trailing at his heels.

"Actually, the place where Nya is studying in her free time. The Institute, downtown," he replied. Both of them got in his car and drove off down the road. Cole had never been to the Ninjago Institute of Art before, and only knew that Nya was there to improve her photography skills. He knew that Zane was being cryptic on purpose, and decided that if he waited he would know what exactly he meant by all this when they got there. The streets of the city passed by his window in a multi-colored blur, the late afternoon sun gleaming off of store windows.

He had seen the architecture of the Institute in magazines and when he had drove by, but Cole was still shocked by the massive glass-like building. Fountains of all shapes and sculptures lined the path to the entrance, and when they got out of the car he could see groups of people in the small, circular patches of grass that were raised on stairway-connected platforms. Zane led him inside and brought him up to the third floor using the elevator, which was also made of the same vitreous material as the outside of the structure. When they got off, the white ninja searched the floor for someone specific.

"My friend should be around here somewhere," said the aqua-eyed boy, looking around until he found who he was looking for. "Skylor!" He briskly walked up to a girl with scarlet hair and green eyes. She was wearing a sherbet orange sweater with a black cat on it. When she saw Zane, she closed her laptop and waved at him with a smile.

"Hey, Zane!" she beamed as she stood. "Who's your friend?"

"Skylor, this is Cole Brookstone," he smiled back, ushering his team mate forward. "Cole, Skylor Chen."

"Nice to meet you," said the art student, shaking his hand.

"Now, Skylor, I know this is short notice but I think I may have found your project inspiration." As soon as Zane finished his sentence, the red-haired woman's expression grew enthusiastic. She opened her laptop and rapidly started up a notebook program.

"Go on," she hummed, typing out a heading. Zane nudged Cole, and he took a step forward.

"Well, I wanna get something for my boyfriend that's really personal. See, he's a sweet, shy guy who has all this energy that he tends to bottle up, and I don't know how to put that into a gift," he explained, a slight rose in his cheeks from saying all this to a mere acquaintance. Skylor typed things out quickly, occasionally stopping to take a break and consider something.

"Mhm," she grinned. "This is perfect. Zane, use three words to describe Cole in his relationship."

"Supportive, caring, respectful," he listed off without a beat. Skylor put it all into her notes at a rapid pace.

"Cole, name Jay's main hobby and his favorite colors," Skylor continued.

"He likes blue, orange, and reading." Although the lightning ninja was a bashful, more delicate soul, he was a sucker for adventure and sci-fi novels and comics. The more intense, the better. These stories were often the main focus of _many_ of his lengthier conversations.

"What hobby and colors do you like, Cole?" she asked as she wrote.

"Music, brown and black," he replied without a second guess. She nodded, put down her final thoughts, then closed her computer again. "So, what's with the questions?"

"Follow me." Skylor smiled wide, practically bounding off into another room. The two ninjas met back up with her in a large jewelry making classroom. "Our latest project involves making dual pieces and having people model them. I think you just got me an A. I've always wanted to try something like this." She rushed over to a work table and pulled out some strings and a large case of semi-precious stone beads.

"Let's see," she said, pulling up her notes on the desk. "Well, for one of them I'll use some of these, and this charm would work..." Zane smiled at Cole, who looked back at him with a small grin of confusion. They watched her compare color schemes and materials for a while, but then she ushered them both out, saying that it would be better if they saw the finished product alone and that they should go down to the food court until she was ready for them.

They only drank some bubble tea and chatted away, but it was still nice to have some one-on-one time. The two of them had never really hung out alone outside of their chemistry class, and Cole found it nice to be around his fellow ninja.

"So, have you seen her do this stuff before?" he asked Zane.

"Oh yes, Skylor is very talented. She's the one who made Nya's earrings and necklace for the formal a few months ago," said the ice user. Cole nodded in thought, remembering how excited the master of water had gotten over her outfit. Usually she just wore whatever was comfortable, but that night she wanted to look her absolute best. Her necklace was layered, and each level became an ombre of aqua and silver that looked like the ocean. Her earrings were small, translucent orbs with a few cyan gems inside of them.

"Impressive," the earth ninja smirked. "Do you think she'll make what I'm looking for?"

"Without a doubt," Zane replied, taking another sip. It was an hour or so before the jeweler came back, holding something in both of her hands. Cole was on the edge of his seat, wondering what the result looked like.

"Alright, here you go," Skylor said as she handed two bracelets to him. He took in a gasp, smiling down at her handiwork. Both were about a half-inch thick and made of the same chestnut leather that was engraved with braided patterns. One of them had three skinny beads that were as tall as the leather was placed at equal distances from each other; one onyx, one tiger's eye, and one black rutile quartz. The other had the same bead locations and sizes, although these ones were an azurite, a spessartite, and a lightning ridge opal. The first bracelet had a silver double eighth note charm dangling from the area where a fourth bead may have gone, and the other had an open book charm. "What do you think? I made sure that the leather is durable so you can where it all the time."

"Zane, you were right," Cole chuckled, admiring the jewelry again. It was exactly what he was thinking of, simple, expressive, and they could even wear it when they trained or fought enemies.

"Just be sure to take some pictures of you and your boyfriend wearing them and send them to me," Skylor beamed, giving him a velvet bag to put the bracelets in. An electronic bell rang, and the red-haired girl flinched before gathering her things. "Oh, shoot! I'm so sorry Zane, I have to go. It was nice meeting you, Cole! Thanks for modeling these for me!"

"Thanks for making them!" he called after her. Cole slid the items into the pouch and turned to face the white ninja. "So, what should we do now?"

"You should call Jay. No. Call _everyone_!" Zane said happily, bouncing in place. The ice user paced the floor with a huge smile, creating a big plan in his mind. "We should all go to the park and bring some food! You can give it to him there! I will also see if Nya can take pictures of you two and give them to Skylor for her project!"

"That sounds like fun," Cole laughed, lightly tugging on his team mate's sleeve to bring him back to real life. "Do you have a picnic blanket or something back at your place?"

"I do indeed," said the white ninja, clasping his hands in front of him.

"Why don't we drive back to your place and get the blanket? I'll call everyone when we get back in the car, then we can go out and get some stuff to bring." The master of ice nodded rapidly, nearly sprinting down the hall and back into the elevator. Cole admired his enthusiasm, especially considering that he was usually so hard to read. Once they were on the road again, they had a quick drive back to Zane's apartment. The whole way there, the white-haired boy was talking incessantly about the soon-to-be get together. He was going over every single detail, and how great it would be to come together as friends without the motive of training.

Zane ran inside to get the large cloth, and came back out with two, just in case. Cole admitted to himself that he was just as excited as his friend was. He was _finally_ going to get rid of that stupid nagging thought and give Jay a gift that he rightfully deserved. He called Kai, Nya, and Lloyd, and they all agreed happily to the meeting time and place, saying what each person would bring. Finally, Cole pressed Jay's contact, waiting a few seconds before the other end was picked up.

"Hi Cole!" came an enthusiastic voice.

"Afternoon, bluebird," he replied with a smile. "Zane and I were studying today, and we thought that we should all meet up at the park and have a potluck, as a team. I called the others, and they can make it in an hour. Think you can make that time and bring something?"

"Yeah! Actually, my mother and I got bored and decided to make some homemade ramen! I'll bring a heated pot of it so we can all have some!" Jay told him, and Cole's smirk grew at his boyfriend's gleeful attitude.

"Alright, see you in an hour," he beamed into the receiver.

"See you then!" Jay hung up a split second before him. He gave Zane a thumbs up, and they made their way towards this one traditional market they loved that was about five minutes away. The outdoor shops were quaint, but were always full of delicious food. While the ice user went to get a few main course dishes, Cole tackled the confectionery side of the picnic. He had a raging sweet tooth, himself, so grabbed a chocolate cake and a few other assorted candies. However, a memory struck him when he saw someone baking fresh desserts. Kai had bought a few mochi and anko at the flower blooming festival because they were some of his favorites, and Jay had instantly fallen in love with them. He payed for a boxed set of them and met back up with Zane in the market center.

With only ten minutes until the picnic was supposed to begin, they arrived at the park and set out the blankets. A few minutes later, Nya and Kai arrived, setting out their plates next to theirs. Then, Lloyd arrived with a lot of assorted food items that his mother had gotten for them.

"Hey guys!" came Jay's voice from behind them. Cole was still helping Lloyd when the blue ninja set all this stuff down. When he looked up, however, his breath caught in his throat. The master of lightning was still wearing his usual scarf, but he had swapped out his usual outfit for a royal blue and white varsity jacket, light wash jeans with ripped knees, aviator sunglasses that were pushing back his curls as they sat atop his head, and a grey tee that read "Adorkable" in white letters. He looked so _cute_ , it had to be illegal.

"Before we start eating, Cole has something for Jay," Zane called out to everyone. The black master felt dread pool in his stomach, but he strengthened himself against his nervousness and quickly straightened, digging into his pocket for the velvet bag. The others were silent, especially Jay, who had inched over to him as soon as the white ninja had announced his involvement with this ceremony of sorts.

"I got us these," he stated bluntly, unable to stop the red in his cheeks. Cole pulled out the bracelets from the small sack, and Jay clapped his hands over his mouth in sync with everyone's sharp intakes. "Dunno if it's your style, but I figured that you could keep the black one, and I'll keep the blue one. Y'know... to remind us of each other when we aren't around." There was a heavy silence, and Jay had still not moved. He was unbelievably worried, and if another second passed he swore that he would break out into a nervous sweat.

"I love it!" Jay suddenly cried, flinging forward and practically tackling him. Cole balanced them and hugged him back as the others cheered and cooed. As soon as the lightning ninja let him go, he put the leather with the black stones on his wrist, tightening the adjustable strands so that it fit comfortably. Jay did the same with his, and they exchanged another embrace. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you! It's so _beautiful_!"

"I'm glad you like them," the master of earth replied honestly against his temple.

"Is this what you wanted me to bring my camera for, Zane?" Nya asked, and the white ninja nodded. "Alright, lovebirds, let's take some pictures!" They let her pose them in order to get the jewelry in the perfect angle for Skylor's assignment.

"Stay right here, Cole," Jay beamed when they finished their little photo session. "This is _definitely_ going on my story and my feed!" Cole allowed him to take out his phone and take at least ten selfies of them holding up their bracelets. The black ninja thought of something daring, and the millisecond that Jay's finger hit the capture button for the umpteenth time, he turned and gave him a surprise kiss on the cheek. Lloyd and Kai gave them an exaggerated 'aww' as the blue master doubled over in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Jay, that was over the line," the earth ninja chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I know you don't like kissing in public-" Instead of a verbal response, Jay just held up his phone and showed him the picture that contained the sudden smooch. Jay's face was a priceless level of shock and joy, showing just how adorable he was. The master of lightning stood back up and pressed his face into his partner's shoulder.

"I think... I wanna post this one," he mumbled bashfully.

"Ooh, you rebel you," Cole said as he slung an arm around him. "I think that's a good idea." He let Jay rest against him while he typed, watching as the others began to dig into the spread.

"There," Jay said as he shakily pressed the post button. He let out a deep breath and turned a little bit to face the black ninja. "We should probably get some food before everyone takes it." The pair sat down and filled their plates and bowls, eating together under the early evening sun. As the others joked, Cole examined his bracelet again. The rich, golden light of the sun reflected off the blue stones and made them shimmer with an iridescent effect. He smiled at the little silver book, making a mental note to wear it every day.

Nya helped cut the cake, and Cole was happy that she allowed him to take what was left home with him. Everyone grabbed some candy and dug into their desserts. A spark went off in the back of the earth user's mind.

"Oh right!" he exclaimed, grabbing the box from the other side of the blanket. "I almost forgot." He opened the package, watching Kai and Jay's faces light up with a smirk.

"Wagashi?" the blue ninja gasped in delight.

"Leave some for Kai," he winked. The two ninjas pounced on the box, happily munching on the bean-pastries. "Hey Nya, be sure to tell Skylor that I love the bracelets when you send her those pics."

"Ohf! An' me!" Jay shouted through a mouth full of cherry blossom-shaped treat. He giggled and swallowed what he had eaten. "Tell her I love them too!" The water ninja grinned and went through her camera's footage, looking for the best shots. As time passed, they shared many stories of the past week, and reveled in each other's company. Cole even told the group about Tanoshii and their little conversation, which they all found rather heart warming. On the other hand, they all groaned about Kirsten's involvement. When the black master casually mentioned the flirting that she had been trying to pull recently, the team raised their hackles.

"God, can't she just stick with one person for more than a week?" Nya growled. "You even told Tano about your relationship!"

"I know," Cole sighed. "But I'd rather just let her attempt to get anywhere with me than have her destroy my social life. I don't want anything to do with her, and I think she knows that."

"I _hope_ she knows that," Lloyd commented. "You remember what she did to Chen all those weeks ago?" The six sucked in a breath through their teeth, an audible cringe in remembrance of the poor cheer squad and his humiliating break up in the lunch room. The poor sap was sassed and critiqued by the snake until he was almost crying after he asked her what he had done wrong.

"Yeah, and I don't want that to happen to either of you," the green ninja continued, pointing with his fork. "If you get into trouble with her, do you think you can handle it without giving her what she wants?" Cole thought it over, and shrugged when he could not think of a feasible plan. Jay shrunk beside him, nibbling on another mochi with uneasiness. The black ninja noticed and brought up a hand to push away some auburn locks that had fallen out from under the aviators.

"Hey," he whispered. "Don't worry, I won't let her touch me. Or you." The master of lightning nodded and nuzzled into his collarbone, situating himself so that he faced the group with about two-thirds of his body. The potluck continued with no further perturbation, and nobody had a care in the world when they all packed up and left. There was school tomorrow, so Cole had to run back with Zane and get his bag and books before going home. On the drive back to his house, he passed Nya on her motorcycle, who gave him a friendly wave as she crossed the intersection in front of him. He grinned and waved back, then made the final stretch homewards.

He was somewhat surprised to see his father's car in the garage, but then remembered that yesterday was the last day of his shows, and had most likely flown back to Ninjago City while he was out. He parked and stepped inside, and his father smiled at him as he put down his newspaper.

"Hey there, son," he grinned. "Where have you been?"

"Out with some friends," Cole replied, setting his backpack in the mud room. "How'd the performances go?" His father took a long sip of tea, then gestured to the seat across from him.

"Well, the quartet sounded lovely as always," he moderately boasted. "However, _I_ would like to know where _these_ came from." He pointed to the vase that was situated in the center of the kitchen table. The black ninja blushed a little, suddenly caring a bit if his father liked the bouquet or not, although it was not meant for him.

"Oh, they're from... my boyfriend," he squeezed out, shoulders raised a tad. Lou paused mid-drink, eyed his son for a little bit, then set the cup back down.

"Who would that be?" asked the singer. He was slowly stirring his tea, and that meant that he was thinking deeply. His father always fiddled with some object, be it a pen or an eating utensil, when he was considering something big.

"Jay Walker," Cole told him.

"Jay Walker," Lou repeated, but slower. "Ah, that boy who's parents run the flower store downtown." The way he took his next sip was so agonizingly sluggish that it appeared... _condescending_.

"Nice boy," he said with a deeper voice. "Well, they're a lovely bunch. For a moment I thought that you had picked them yourself." The clink of porcelain against porcelain was like a bell ringing out his death sentence. It was a sound that signified that his father did _not_ approve. He bit back the urge to grit his teeth, recalling countless times that he had explained to his father that he was not one hundred percent straight. Lou had told him in every single one of these conversations that he supported his son, but he was still obviously trying to convince the young man that his decision could use some "rethinking".

"Yeah," Cole mumbled, standing up abruptly and making his way out of the kitchen. He ran his fingers over the smooth beads of his bracelet, hoping to calm himself down. "Night, dad."

"Goodnight, Cole," his father called after him before taking another lengthy, thoughtful sip.


	4. Chapter 4

Jay walked into the science lab and grabbed a pair of goggles and an apron, as was the usual pre-experiment procedure. However, his teacher stopped him by clearing his throat.

"Actually, Mr. Walker, we're doing some special acid tests today," he said, holding up a bin. "I'd strongly advise you to put your watch in here, if you have one, and get a pair of gloves. We're separating mixtures using heat, and because of the burn incident a few weeks ago, the school has told me to keep all of the class's excess belongings." The blue ninja nodded, quickly placing his cherished leather bracelet inside. He had only gotten that thing two days ago, and did not want to tarnish or risk harm to it.

"Jay," called a voice that made his heart beat faster out of fear. "We're lab partners!"

"Hey, Kirsten," he replied, shooting her a fake grin. "Let's get started." The flames were lit, and they began to study and take down their observations. The others trickled in, took their seats, and began their own experiments. Kirsten was actually being quite helpful, and his nerves stilled after only a few minutes working with her. Despite what he had been led to believe, she was following the instructions down to the punctuation.

"Now that you're all here, I'll go get the second half of the assignment," Mr. Lee announced. Kirsten's eyes flickered over to his desk, an indescribable look about her. However, that expression shifted into something of disappointment when their instructor grabbed the bin. "And I'll be taking these. Wouldn't want any stolen items, would we?" Jay swapped out their mixture for the next one, and Kirsten sat back and waited for the heating process to take place.

"So, I heard that you're going out with Cole Brookstone," she said, giving him a patient smile. He grinned as well and set the tongs he was handling aside.

"I am," he told her. "What about it?"

"Oh, I just wanted to say congratulations!" she giggled. "He's _hot_." Jay snorted when she threw up her eyebrows repeatedly. They turned down the heat, took some notes, and waited again.

"By the way, I saw you take off that cool bracelet," Kirsten added with a kind attitude. "Where'd you get it?"

"Cole gave it to me," he muttered with glee and shyness. His lab partner grinned wide and wrote something else down. "How are things going with Tanoshii?" He prayed that he was not being invasive, considering that they were not really friends. In fact, he was afraid of her and what she could do. When her face went solemn, he flinched, faking an observation of the beaker in front of them.

"Can I tell you something personal?" she asked in a hushed voice. Jay stiffened, but still nodded, not wanting to upset her. "Tano isn't my type. I just dated him because I felt sorry for him." That made the blue master confused. What did Tano have to worry about? He was athletic, good-looking, and an all around nice guy. Who would not want to date him, if given the chance?

"What do you mean?" he finally asked.

"Well, I heard that he's just not the type of guy that people go for. I mean, anyone who is skittish, quiet, and not as handsome as the other guys on his team would have a hard time finding somebody. He hasn't been on a lot of dates because of that. I just wanted to give him a little chance. We got each other a couple of gifts, but I mean that's just, like... physical possessions. Like, he got me this necklace that completes a heart with his, and it says 'BFF' in the middle. I thought it was cute, because all couples should be best friends as well, right? I'm just hoping that after we break up, we'll be able to stay friends and keep those necklaces." Her words began to drip some sort of scathing bitterness, although she surely did not mean it like that. The descriptions began to swim in his mind.

 _Skittish, quiet, and not as handsome as the other guys on his team._ This crushed his confidence, realizing that the same could be said about himself. _Give him a little chance_. What if that was what Cole was doing? Was he just giving him a chance to experience a relationship? It was true that this was his first serious one, but he had never really _looked_ for a relationship before. _All couples should be best friends as well_. If the black ninja were to break up with him, the bracelet could still work as a symbol of their bond as companions. Had he planned this?

"By the way, I think we should add more of the second solution," she said, taking the tongs and grabbing the test tube with the aforementioned liquid. Jay snapped back to reality, stress worming its way through his body. Mr. Lee came back with the papers and passed them out. The formulas and instructions were all jumbled, and no matter how much he tried to focus the letters and numbers just refused to make any sense at all. "Jay, are you okay?"

"I... I'm fine," he responded after a few seconds of breathing. "What are you doing for the first problem?"

"I'm just... writing down the end results of the experiment?" Kirsten said in a wry manner. "Are you sure you're good?" Jay steeled his mind and strained his eyes until the sentences became comprehensible.

"I'm good," he assured her. They worked for a while on the questions, asking each other for help and occasionally chatting about whatever crossed their mind. He could not believe that _Kirsten Lin_ was actually a nice girl. "Oh, wow! Are we really almost done for the day?"

"Time flies when you're being held against your will in school all day," Kirsten laughed.

"Well, I'll go put away the supplies, then," he replied with a grin.

"Oh! I'll get our stuff from the bin," his partner said as she stood. "Anything else in there besides the bracelet?"

"Nope," Jay told her. "Thanks." He washed out the test tubes and set them out to dry, thankful that a new group of physics students would be doing the same experiment next hour, and they would be doing all the prep work.

"Mr. Walker, may I ask a favor?" Mr. Lee came up to him and asked. He spun around and nodded, drying his hands off with a paper towel before throwing it away. "I left next hour's stack in the copy room, could you go grab it for me?"

"Of course," he beamed, darting towards the exit. "I'll be back in a minute." The halls were empty, but the classrooms buzzed with students cleaning up before they moved to their next subject. The copy center was not too far away, and he immediately found the papers his teacher had forgotten. Casting a smile at the woman behind the desk, he exited.

"Hey, Jay!" The lightning ninja turned and saw Kai waving to him, walking in an opposite direction. He waved back and went on his way. Mr. Lee was waiting outside the door for him, and took the pages gratefully. When he re-entered the room, Kirsten met up with him at the door.

"It wasn't there!" she blurted. "Your bracelet! I couldn't find it!" Jay's gut flared with panic, and he frantically moved about the room. He had to dodge people who were still finishing their experiments as he searched everywhere for the leather band.

"Mr. Lee!" he nearly shouted, bolting out of the classroom. "Something happened to my bracelet!"

"I told you to put it in the bin," the teacher scoffed. He looked back at Kirsten, who looked absolutely horror-struck. She was asking around if anyone had seen it, but nobody had. The girl looked back at him with a shocked and sad expression, shaking her head.

"But I did!" Jay tried not to sound annoyed as he turned his head back. "Did you drop the bin anywhere, o-or maybe _almost_ drop it? It could have fallen out!"

"Take it easy," Mr. Lee told him, looking at least a little concerned. "I had to cross the courtyard to drop off Mrs. Renga's reports, it could have fallen there."

"Can I go look for it?" he pleaded, then corrected himself when he saw his teacher's visible cringe. " _May_ I go look for it?" The physics instructor looked at the clock, and took note that there were only three minutes until the bell anyway. As soon as Lee nodded, Jay bolted back in and threw his backpack on. He pelted through the hallway and down the stairs, then burst outside. The fresh morning air would have been calming if he was not already occupied with his anxiety.

He checked the grass, under benches, the stone steps, even around the trees, and he still did not find it. The bell rang, and he could see people milling about. He could not search the hallways with so many students walking to and fro.

 _What if I can't find it?_ he thought, running nervous hands through his hair. He was breathing laboriously. _Oh god, what if I lost it? Cole went and got that for me only_ two days ago _! He'll be furious! He'll break up with me! I'm such an idiot!_ The elemental master paused, feeling tears prick at the corners of his eyes. Before he could start crying in the middle of the crowded courtyard, he ran inside and maneuvered hurriedly through the crowds to the farthest bathroom he could find, the one that Cole had wrapped his cut in. Nobody was there, and he deemed that nobody would come in.

He broke down, legs unable to carry him any longer. Jay slumped to his knees, a single sob wracking through him that opened the floodgates. _How could I lose it? I could have just put it in my bag! What if someone stole it?_ He needed to talk to someone. If he was going to find it, he needed to be calm.

The blue boy realized that if he could not find the bracelet, he would still have to tell Cole, so what better time than now? With a trembling hand, he pulled out his cell and tapped on his boyfriend's contact. It rang only once.

"Jay, I don't know how long I can talk, Ms. Aidoru is..." The master of lightning tried to stop himself from making audible distressed sounds, but even through his hand it was easy to hear. "Bluebird, are you crying? Jesus, are you hurt? Where are you?"

"I... I c-can't... I lost my..." he choked on his gasping breaths. "I'm so-rry... I-"

"Where are you?" Cole repeated, with more urgency this time. "What happened?"

"The A hall... b-bathroom," Jay huffed as he tried to steady his voice. He could not get the words that he wanted to out. "I didn'... mean t', I just gave it t'... I'm so sorry!"

"Stay there," the black ninja ordered. Even though he could not see him, the freckled mess nodded. He clutched his phone when Cole hung up, holding it against his chest as he tried to fight his tears. The next minute was complete agony for him. The fear of losing the jewelry forever was what started up his nerves, but then he imagined how Cole would respond and if they were going to break up, and that added more fuel to his fit. Every time he convinced himself it would be okay, another harsh thought crossed his mind, and the cycle would start over.

"Jay?" came a muffled voice from behind the door. Cole pushed it open with an angry expression, and the blue ninja was terrified that he was cross with him. However, when the earth user saw his state his demeanor softened incredibly. He shut the door and dropped right in front of him before scooping up the smaller boy in his arms, cradling his head against his shoulder. "Thank god, you don't look hurt. Did someone try to fight you? Was it one of Kirsten's damn jocks? What did she say?"

"Mn-mn," Jay shook his head, grabbing a fistful of Cole's shirt in each hand as he sucked in deep breaths. The black-haired boy pulled back and cupped his face with both hands, looking him dead in the eye. The lightning master felt new tears well up when he saw the genuine disquiet in his features. "The b-bracelet. I lost... lost the bracel-let." He sobbed again, and Cole let him burrow back into the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arms around his crying boyfriend and ran his hands over his back in soothing motions.

"Shh, it's okay. Don't worry, it's okay. We'll find it," he told him, gently rocking his partner back and forth. "We can go look for it, okay? I told Ms. Aidoru that there was an emergency. Tell me what happened. We can retrace your steps." Jay breathed slowly, inhaling and exhaling in sync with Cole's palms against his back. When his brain finally got the message that the earth ninja was not irritated with him, he was able to calm himself. The taller of the two wiped away his remaining tears, letting his thumb linger on his cheekbone for a second longer.

Jay told him the story of the previous class, and everywhere he had looked so far. The hallways were still a possibility, as well as Mrs. Renga's room. They started by going back to the copy room and courtyard one more time, but moved on with no luck. Their social studies teacher did not have any idea what they were talking about, and they swept the hallways, yet there was still nothing.

"Hey Cole?" the blue master muttered as they went back towards the physics room to search. "What happens if we don't find the bracelet?" His conversation with Kirsten ran fresh through his mind. Surely this was the blunder that made the earth ninja realize that he did not need to pity him anymore, if he was.

"Life goes on," said his boyfriend with a shrug. "Are you really that scared?" Jay winced, taking a moment to pause before catching up with Cole again. He seemed to take notice, because he turned around and gave him a patient smile.

"Life. Goes. On," he told the blue ninja. "It's just a bracelet."

"But it's a bracelet _you_ got for me!" Jay blubbered. "If I lose it, then what will I have when you leave me?" That stung the black ninja, and he took a step back as soon as he said it.

"I-I mean _if_ you leave me!" he tried to reconcile his situation. "I don't even mean if! I didn't mean any of that!" He put his hands out to Cole in defense, who just stared at the open fingers before sluggishly turning his eyes up to his face.

"I want you to be honest with me, bluebird." The grave tone that he was using sent a shock up his spine. "What's got you thinking about that?"

"About, uh... what?" Jay attempted to act innocent, shooting his team mate a crooked grin. Cole stepped closer to him, looming over his smaller form to the point where the blue ninja almost had to lean back to meet his gaze. He did not look pissed at _him_ , thank the heavens, but he was certainly not pleased with something.

"About me leaving you," he growled in response. "Tell me the _truth_ , Jay." He paused and collected what he wanted to say, and he was a terrible liar so there was no use hiding it.

"Before you get mad, it's because of something Kirsten said," the lightning user peeped. The shocked anger on Cole's face was intimidating, and Jay felt the need to continue his warning. "But it wasn't about me, I swear! It was about the guy she's dating. Isn't he your friend or something?"

"Tano?" the master of earth mumbled, losing his near-snarl for a moment. He regained it a few seconds later, however. "What did she say?"

"Well, uh..." Jay began to wring his hands, feeling the need to do something with them in order to expel his nervous energy. "She said that she was thinking about breaking up with him because he wasn't as good-looking and gets kinda nervous or something like that. Apparently she was only dating him because she was sorry for him? Well, it um... got me thinking that what if I'm the same-"

"Stop," was all that Cole said. It was a single, insistent word. The black master took hold of his hands and intertwined their fingers. "You are the cutest, funniest, most caring guy I have _ever met_. There is no way in hell that I would ever let you go because some guy is hotter or cockier than you. There's a big difference between being hot and being beautiful. Some random boy on the street who works out and tans all day to make himself look good? That's hot. Somebody who doesn't need to think about their looks because they already care about the happiness of everyone around them? That's beautiful. You're _beautiful_ , bluebird. I'm not about to pass that up." Jay could practically feel his heart swell. He was certainly blushing, there was no doubt, and Cole was being _serious_.

"When did you get so poetic?" the lightning wielder laughed in awe. The earth ninja smiled too, pulling him in for a fast squeeze before leading him by the hand. "No, seriously, when?"

"Look, the internet is full of inspiration," Cole grinned sheepishly. "But I still meant it."

"I know," Jay replied with a giggle. The boulder-brain was such a softy.

"Hey, if Kirsten causes any trouble, and I mean _any_ trouble," the black master said. "Don't talk to her. Come to me and we'll talk it out. Maybe we'll get the others in on it if it makes you feel better."

"But she didn't have anything to do with it," the freckled boy cocked his head in confusion.

"No, she did. She knew what she was doing. Tano is _not_ an anxious guy. I've known him for years, and he's the most carefree person in the world," he told him. "Promise me you'll stay away from her."

"I promise," Jay assured him.

* * *

The rest of the school day passed and Jay never found the gift. He sighed and picked up his things from his locker. Nya needed a ride home because Kai was at a doctor's appointment, and he was happy to oblige. She was grabbing some notes for her brother in a separate classroom, and was going to meet him in the main courtyard.

Outside, the sun cast the building's shadow over a certain bench. Jay sat and took in the warm afternoon air. The sky was clear, save for a few puffy, white clouds in the far horizon. He smiled, despite the hectic nature of the last several hours.

A soft chorus of voices caught his attention, and he looked back towards the entrance and saw Kirsten. They locked eyes, and she waved. The master of lightning was about to wave back, but then he froze in unequivocal alarm.

There. On her wrist, the one that she had raised to greet him with. That unmistakable chestnut material and black stones. The silver music note twinkled in the sunlight.

His bracelet.

He felt betrayed, yet another part of him was thankful for the closure. A rich sadness and denial coursed through him. She had been lying through her teeth. Kirsten had such amazing acting abilities, he had to give her that, but he was still heartbroken. He told himself to look again, and saw that it was true. Jay jogged over to her little posse of jocks and socialites, striving to conceal his disappointment with a bright expression.

"You found it!" he beamed. Kirsten paused, and so did her group. They were obviously all trying to win her favor in one way or another, so they attempted to mirror her exact movements. All except for Tano, who was already holding the hand that did not have his jewelry on it.

"Found what?" she asked. Before Jay could answer, she lifted up her wrist and gave him a kilowatt smile. "Oh, have you seen this? It's so cute, isn't it?"

"I... what?" the blue ninja muttered, bewildered.

"Cole gave it to me." Kirsten's voice was saturated with a devilish, "in your face" sound that tore at his soul. "Between us, I think he _likes me_." Tano's face became contorted with perplexity.

"But I thought that you and Cole were going out?" the soccer player asked him. Everyone except for the three speakers contributed to a snarky, synchronous chorus of "Ooh!" Jay stepped forward and reached out for her arm in vain.

"Give it back," he tried to say sternly. Two of the larger guys pushed in front of her. Jay knew that he could take them in a fight easily, given his training as a ninja. "Kirsten, give it back."

"Or what?" said one of the overly muscular punching bags. Jay turned with malice in his eyes, which made the boys throw up their brows in surprise, but then he remembered that if he ended up fighting someone linked to _Kirsten_ , word would spread like wildfire and he would certainly get suspended. He _did not_ want that on his record. He looked around for another solution, and found none. Tano gave him a sympathetic look, but then Kirsten shot him a sneering glare.

He remembered what Cole said, and wondered if he should run away and call him immediately. Against his better judgement, he stayed. He desperately wanted his bracelet back, he had been searching _all day_ , and he was not going to give it up now.

"Look, I'm sorry that your precious crush doesn't wanna be around a pathetic, ditzy little gay boy like you," Kirsten jeered, pushing a nail into his chest. "I have places to be, though."

"K, he's not exactly gay-"

"Shut up, honey. I love you, but this idiot needs to learn that life doesn't always work out for people like him." The girl tossed her curls and held up her wrist, turning it to display each bead and the charm. "Cole doesn't love you. He loves me. _Get over it_." The group howled their approval, laughing at Jay's stricken expression. They grew louder when his brows knitted in rage and his eyes grew misty.

"Aww, he's gonna cry!" one of the jocks bellowed. Jay could feel the element of lightning, white hot and ready to strike. A crackle of electricity danced across his fingers just once.

"Hey!" Nya suddenly threw herself in between him and the group.

"Oh, now the lesbian's gonna help you!" the same boy cried, causing the clique to cackle with more gusto.

"Let's go," the water ninja threw over her shoulder. Jay made a move to protest, but Nya froze him with a sharp look. " _Let's. Go._ " They sped away, retreating all the way back to the parking lot. When they got in, the girl in the passenger's seat erupted with worry.

"I can't believe you, Jay!" she shouted, puzzling the blue master and adding a log to the fire.

"What did I do?" he spat back.

"You almost used your lightning powers!" yelled Nya. " _And_ you almost got into a fight! You know they don't stand a chance!"

"How do you know I almost used my powers?" Jay replied, tugging his orange scarf away from his neck, feeling the fabric becoming restricting as he continued to shout.

"I _saw_ it!" his team mate jabbed a finger at him.

"But _they_ didn't!" The blue ninja threw up his hands. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted my bracelet back!" Nya paused, half-way poised to argue again.

"What?" she whispered, letting her breathing return to normal. "Kirsten has... Oh my god. I'm sorry, Jay. I... you still shouldn't have been so reckless, but..." She looked at his dashboard for a second, then made an almost feral, growling sound that grew swiftly in pitch and volume.

"Argh! That bitch!" she cried, slamming her fists into the surface in front of her.

"'Ey, whoa, take it easy," Jay cautioned, patting her on the shoulder nervously. "I know that Kirsten's awful, but don't take it out on my poor car." Despite her fury, she found the capacity to laugh, although it was perhaps out of hysteria. They sat there in silence for a little bit, then relaxed.

"So, what're we gonna do?" the water user asked. Jay pulled his phone from his bag.

"I'm gonna call my boyfriend," he smiled shyly. "We made a deal." When he thought about it, he had been so close to breaking that vow only hours after he had made it.

"Actually, thanks for stopping me," said the master of lightning. "I promised Cole I'd stay away from her if something happened, and I was ready to _fight her_. I mean, can you imagine me doing that?"

"What, fighting somebody?" Nya asked. "Not really, but maybe today has given me a different perpective." Jay chuckled weakly, then held the phone up to his ear. He could only hope and pray that Cole did not tear Kirsten's coterie apart when he heard the news.


	5. Chapter 5

Those looks had destroyed him. First, there was Jay, who looked so scared and confused by Kirsten's jeering. Then, when she had told him that Cole did not love him, his expression was venomous. For someone of smaller stature who came off as meek and non-confrontational, he was certainly intimidating. Finally, Nya's razor sharp scowl made him question himself more than anything. He could have done something, and was not joining in on the group's fun, so why didn't he?

"Hey Tano!" Evan called out. "You doin' alright, man?"

"Yeah!" he yelled back over the music, giving him a confident smile. He was hosting a party at his house, and everyone had driven over as soon as Nya had taken Jay away. He turned away from the window and crossed his legs, tugging at his shirt collar to help cool himself off. Kirsten flopped down beside him on the couch, applying a fresh layer of crimson gloss. He looked around the room and saw Tony, the student council treasurer, walking from the kitchen while wiping red from his lips. The soccer player's gut churned in sadness, jealousy, and a little bit of anger. "Babe, what was that?"

"What was what?" Kirsten smiled innocently, putting the gloss wand back in the tube. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his shoulder. "You have pretty green eyes, have I ever told you that?"

"Uh, no?" he muttered. "That's not what we're talking about though."

"Then let's talk about that scar on your neck," she grinned, just barely grazing her finger over his collarbone. He flinched and nearly moved away, but Kirsten moved right along with him. "Where'd you get it?"

"Crashed my bike a few years ago," Tano shrugged, attempting to politely shake her off.

"I think it's cool," said his girlfriend. "Makes you look tough."

"Kirsten, please focus," he insisted, pushing her away but still holding her hand. "Did you just kiss Tony?" Shock registered on her face, but then she laughed hard. She patted his shoulder with a giggle.

"Babe, I would never kiss _Tony_ ," she ensured him with a simper. The council member seemed to hear his name, but Kirsten could not see him turn his face halfway towards him. "Tony's such a wimp. Name one big thing he took part in." He paused, and was about to list off a few things, but she held up a finger.

"Exactly, honey," she went on. "You've saved your team _tons_ of times from losing. You won the championship two years in a row. _You_ are the star player. What does Tony have again? Nothing." Again, she did not wait for his input. Tano dared to turn his gaze back to the boy, who was nearly crushing his cup as he stormed back into the kitchen. He felt sorry for the guy, he wanted to apologize, but with Kirsten glued to his arm he felt the need to comply with her. He did not know what made him think this way, and a part of him really did not care. Another part of him rationalized that as her partner he was duty-bound to support her decisions. She most likely wanted the best for him and their relationship. In fact, she had explained to him that Jay had been trying to move in on her, and she was simply pushing him away. It made sense to him initially, but then he remembered that Cole was very happy being with the freckled boy.

A splash woke him from his deep thoughts. Kirsten screeched and nearly threw her lip gloss after someone accidentally dumped a bit of blue punch on her. He stood and looked at the horrified teenager in front of him, trying to hold his girlfriend back.

"Dammit Tami!" she cried out. Tanoshii began to usher her towards the stairs. The nearest bathroom was on the second floor.

"C'mere K, let's get you dry," he whispered to her, and she finally calmed down enough to follow him upstairs. The bathroom was very close to the top of the steps. When he stepped inside he grabbed a few towels and helped her remove the liquid from her shirt, although a faint, bright stain still tainted her white blouse's front and sleeve.

"It's ruined!" she whined. Tano stood back and thought for a moment, then faced his girlfriend completely.

"Stay here, I'll go get you one of my sweaters," he told her. He sped off down the hall and into his room. He looked through his drawers until he found a smaller sweatshirt with the Ninjago University symbol on the front. The athlete rushed back and handed her the garment, looking away as she changed. "I'll take your shirt and wash it, if you want."

"Aww, thanks babe," she cooed, handing him the top. "I'll see you back downstairs." Kirsten skipped off and bounded downstairs, jovial once more. Tano paused and stared at the space where the girl had just stood, then looked down at the marble counter top. She had forgotten the leather bracelet. He sighed and grabbed the jewelry, ready to go back to his inattentive companion and the loud music.

* * *

Thank goodness Lou was out of the house at the moment, because he probably would have called a mental institution from how Cole was acting compared to how stoic he usually was. The earth wielder had gone out to grab a smoothie and some snacks to study with and therefore did not receive the call from his boyfriend for over an hour and a half. However as soon as he heard Jay's message, he called the blue master back and told him to stay at home because he was going over there as soon as possible. The black ninja was yelling in anger as he searched for his sweatshirt.

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew she did something!" he shouted at nobody. "I'm gonna... Argh! _O_ _h I'm gonna_... I dunno what I'm gonna do, but she's getting knocked down a peg!" The master of earth thought of his hammer, fuming with thoughts of murder.

"Or two!" he growled, tossing his portable speaker and phone cord into his bag before storming back out into the kitchen. He picked out an apple from the fridge, then the doorbell rang. He snarled, bit into the fruit fiercely, and marched over to the front door to open it. "Wha...? Tanoshii?"

"I'm so sorry for what Kirsten did," his neighbor apologized rapidly, even bowing to him as he presented the bracelet. It was a very abrupt solution to his problem, and he did not know whether to be excited or wary of the athlete. "I don't know where Jay lives, but you do, so I wanted to bring this." Cole lost a bit of his edge, grabbing the leather and examining it to make sure that nothing had happened to it. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw that there was no damage.

"Thanks," he said to his friend.

"Don't say that," Tano mumbled, shuffling his feet. "I should've done something. I was right there when she was making fun of Jay, and... I could have just told her to stop but I just let her, and- Look, I had to steal this from her when we all got back to my place. If she asks, I was not the one who got it back." Cole was surprised, and could not even get in anything edgewise before the soccer player continued, running his hands through his side-swept sienna hair in what looked like fear.

"Gah! There I go! I'm bein' a coward again!" he barked at himself. "I know this is sudden but... I'll see you later. I have to get back to the party." The ninja stood befuddled in his entryway, watching as the boy pulled his hood over his head and trudged back towards his house. He did not close the door until he watched him disappear inside, blaring music fading in and out as he entered. The master of earth was thrilled to have the bracelet back, but was also worried for his friend. Tano was seeing just how terrible Kirsten was before it was too late, and if he did not dump her soon he was going to get bit _hard_.

He hoped that his friend was not attempting to change her ways. Kirsten had a way of pressuring her toys into doing what she wanted, _especially_ guys like Tano. He was too considerate, too trusting. It was eventually going to lead to his downfall unless he somehow managed to turn the tables on her and actually help her fix her attitude.

He considered this fact as he got in his car and drove, wondering what the athlete's plan was. Why he was still with the temptress after what he had seen, Cole did not know. However, he did know that he would personally blast that siren off the face of Ninjago with the Quake Mech if she tried to pull anything else.

When he reached the florists' shop, Jay was sitting on the front steps and scrolling through his phone while he blew bubbles with his chewing gum. The freckled boy had changed out of his previous outfit, most likely because he had gotten some dirt on it while searching through the courtyard for the bracelet. Now, he was wearing a slightly over-sized tee with a video game logo on it and some grey sweatpants. Cole hopped out of his car and made sure the leather band was in his bag before he jogged up to the lightning ninja. The blue master perked up and let his partner lift him off the concrete in a spinning hug.

"Are you okay?" Cole asked in a rush, setting down the dizzy boy.

"Yeah, now that you're here," he sighed, reaching up to tousle his team mate's long black locks as he let another pink orb pop past his lips. The master of earth grinned and dug into the remote pocket that he had put the jewelry in.

"Look what Tano brought me," he mused before dramatically pulling out the bracelet. Jay gasped and snagged it from his hands, overjoyed that he had it again.

"He gave it back?" the lightning user wondered. "I can't believe it!"

"Yeah, and he feels bad about what happened," said Cole. "I told you Tanoshii wasn't a bad guy." He helped his boyfriend lace the adjustable strap back up and was happy to receive a peck on the cheek as thanks.

"Actually, he stood up for me... kinda," Jay replied, thinking back to the few times that Tano had shown some true regret. Cole lazily took the hand that now adorned the beautiful stones and silver again, looking at it for a long time before planting a feather-light kiss against Jay's hairline. It was a soft, rare moment that they both appreciated with a shy smile. "Do you wanna maybe... come inside? I mean, you brought a bag. You might as well stay awhile."

"I'd like that," the master of earth grinned. "Where are your parents?"

"Ah, they're off helping with some wedding arrangements," he told him. "C'mon, I've got some cookies you can have." Although he had already had a snack, those empty calories were exactly what he needed to cool off right now. They went inside and upstairs to the flat. Jay disappeared into the kitchen to grab the treats and get rid of his gum, then joined the black ninja in his bedroom.

"Mind if I put on some music?" Cole asked. "I figured we could use some time to relax. This has been the roughest day I've had for a _long time_."

"Oh you have no idea," the lightning user comically groaned as he sat down on his bed. "Turn on whatever you want." The master of earth took in the littler details of Jay's room, having been in it about ten to fifteen times since he had met him. He had memorized the posters and the novels that were neatly organized in his personal bookshelf, and grinned at the game discs that sat on top of the birch surface of the little library. They had really grown close, studying and bonding over their elemental training together in this place. He looked through his playlists and finally found the one he used to stay peaceful. Sensei had told him to find a style that was more mellow while meditating, and found that he really loved piano and older, more folk styled songs when he wanted to calm himself. Jay shot him a smirk, obviously surprised by his chosen genre.

"What?" he grinned right back, sitting next to him and putting his arm around him. "I may love electronic stuff, bluebird, but it doesn't mean I can't love the classics. I guess it's my way of making fun of my dad, since he always wants me to listen to this stuff around him." The blue master giggled and snuggled into his side.

"Oh so angsty," he joked, placing the tub of chocolate chip confections in his lap. Cole happily munched on one as they just sat and soaked in the music. The taller ninja stared at the shadows on the wall, a perfect outline of the two of them silhouetted against the pale cerulean paint. When he finished his second cookie, the earth master had to push the container away, worried that he would end up eating all of them if given the opportunity. He had to let go of Jay as he set them on the dresser beside his bed, then forgot to embrace him again as they nearly knocked their noses together when he turned back around.

The tranquil song continued, marking out a pace as they breathed together. Cole looked into his twinkling blue irises, watching them take in his features as well. He wondered what he should do, then decided that holding him from the lower back was a good first step. Jay hummed an unsure sound, then slowly began to close the remaining distance. He decided to meet him halfway, and his mind ignited when their lips connected. There was something different about this kiss that set it apart from the others. It felt like it was the start of something more, not just a chaste smooch or a quick, meaningful peck, but slower and more drawn out. A second lingering kiss was shared, then a third. They had to pull back for a second and breathe.

"Hey there, bluebird," Cole said in a surprisingly flirtatious voice, causing his boyfriend to blush and laugh below his breath. Jay pulled his head towards his again by the back of his head, threading his fingers into his silky locks. The taller of the pair reached over and scooped his legs up, maneuvering him to his back with tentative care. With each torrid kiss they developed a deeper understanding of the other. For instance, it was apparent that the blue boy _loved_ playing with his hair. There was an established desire to finally be physical with each other, and they were finding the boundaries they both had as they continued.

Cole sat back and looked down at his sweetheart. The blue-eyed vision had a fairer complexion compared to him, and his approval was clearly shown in his flushed cheeks. Eventually, he wanted to experiment with every single one of his senses, but for the time being he just wished to explore his distracting, speckled neck that was no longer covered up by his usual orange accessory.

"You're adorable," the earth user murmured as he pressed his hands into the mattress by his ribs, caging his smaller body. He brought his face up to his jaw and pressed his lips to the skin, roaming the expanse with slow, peppering kisses. Jay squirmed a little when he focused on one spot that made his breath hitch. Cole noticed and suckled on that patch of nerves, chuckling as his boyfriend's hands snuck under his jacket to cling to him. He replied by snaking his fingers under the hem of his tee, pressing them to his toned abdomen. Jay took in a deep breath.

"Your hands are cold," he breathed out. Cole stopped what he was doing and laughed, tickling his partner's warm stomach. "Stop-ha ha! Oh my god, they're freezing!" He did not pull his hands away, but ceased their movements as he went back to latching onto his neck in various places. He intended to make his adorable, sensitive darling melt underneath him, and he was proud that he was achieving his goal. Jay continued to mumble and make soft noises, being the sweet blabbermouth that he was. Cole left as many kisses as possible, now becoming open-mouthed and scorching against the supple skin.

"Wait..." the lightning master muttered, although Cole barely heard him. "Wait wait wait!" The black ninja moved back immediately. He was not going to do anything that he did not want. Jay pressed a finger to his own lips, and they listened. Footsteps on the first floor.

"Jay, dear, we're home!" came Edna's voice. Their stomachs dropped. Instantly they were off of each other, straightening their hair and clothes.

"Your neck!" Cole warned him in a hushed tone. Jay's hand flew up to the red marks, knowing that they would inevitably bruise over. He looked panicky, searching the room for his scarf. The master of earth spotted the orange fabric and snatched it off the floor, tossing it to his boyfriend. He waited until the blue ninja had finished situating himself before calling out, "Hi, Mrs. Walker!"

"Oh, Cole is that you?" the woman piped up, excitement in her pitch. "Are you two studying?"

"Sure are!" Jay replied, picking up his backpack and rummaging through it.

"For what class?" Edna went on. The boy finally yanked out a few notebooks that would at least make it look like they had been working.

"Anatomy!" Cole yelled back before laughing at the irony. Jay giggled nervously, adjusting his scarf to better cover his skin. They stared at each other for a moment, realizing that for the first time ever, they had _made out_. Furthermore, they had almost been caught. The earth wielder loved every word in those sentences, archiving those memories for future bragging rights. He stepped over to his boyfriend and took him by the hand. "Feeling better?"

"Much better," he hummed. Edna knocked on the door, then they sat down next to each other and pretended to be deep in some notes. "Come in." His mother grinned at the two of them as she entered.

"Hiya Cole," she beamed. "How ya doin' hon'?"

"I'm good," he grinned. "I had some of your cookies, hope you don't mind. They were really good."

"Well what good would cookies be if you didn't eat them?" Edna joked. "I'm glad you liked 'em dear. Jay, your father and I are only here for a few minutes and then we're going back to the wedding preparation. Just wanted to ask if ya needed anything while we're gone."

"Nope!" Jay replied swiftly. "Nothing. I'm fine." His mother threw up her brows, then looked at the pair of them again, taking in the scene.

"Did I interrupt something?" she asked, and the blue ninja laughed hysterically.

"No, mom!" he giggled nervously, grinning wide. "It's okay! Don't worry about me, I'm fine." The woman chuckled along with him and began to back out of the room.

"If you say so, hon'," said Edna. "Alrighty, I'll see you later. Call me or your father if you need anything." Jay nodded, waiting until he heard the faint sound of the shop entrance opening and closing before letting out his breath. Cole rolled onto his back in laughter, almost dropping the notebook as his boyfriend feebly punched him in the arm.

"You are such a terrible liar!" the black ninja howled, rolling over and laughing harder.

"It's not funny!" Jay pouted. Cole pulled the master of lightning towards him, muffling his sounds in his side. With a huff, the blue boy lowered himself and allowed his partner to cuddle him as he calmed down.

"Okay, okay I'm done," the earth user wheezed. He saw Jay's sour expression, and softly poked the tip of his nose. That made him forfeit his facade, smiling weakly and surrendering to the embrace. The soft music was still playing, comforting the black master. "Hey, we should get back at Kirsten."

"Mmm, I dunno," Jay sighed. "We've got the bracelet. Besides, what would Sensei think?"

"It's not about what _Sensei_ thinks," Cole pointed out. "She hurt _you_." It was apparent that the lightning wielder had no preference either way, even though Cole wanted to tear Kirsten limb from limb, personally. He drew Jay closer to him, letting him put his head on his chest while he held his hand. The earth ninja rested his chin on top of his boyfriend's curls with a sigh, narrowing his eyes at the wall in contemplation.

There was one other person who he knew would definitely side with him, someone else who had witnessed Kirsten's wrath.


	6. Chapter 6

Nya sat her helmet on her motorcycle and straightened out her ponytail. She had no clue what Cole needed so late in the afternoon, but whatever it was he sure seemed excited about it when he called her earlier. He had said something about not wanting to ruin the surprise, so he had not shared a single detail of what he was up to. She did know, however, that this had something to do with Jay, he had told her that much. Based on the lightning ninja's encounter with Kirsten and her squad, the black master was most likely planning some way to cheer up his boyfriend. The water user had no clue how she would fit into that equation, however, unless this was going to be some overkill scheme that he needed her assistance with.

She only had to ring the bell once before Cole jumped out of the entrance and tugged her inside. He wore the most enthusiastic smile and was talking as soon as he closed the door behind them.

"Okay, so I know this is kinda last minute, but I need your help," he started, leaping into the kitchen. "Kirsten stole Jay's bracelet." Nya nodded, watching as he let go of her wrist and started pacing around the room.

"And her friends hurt his feelings so bad that he almost used his elemental powers. That's bad, right?" Cole continued, gaze flicking over to his friend.

"Right," she answered, interest sparking. The ninja of earth went right back to walking to and fro.

"So, we need to get back at her. Obviously we can't just say a few choice words and let her go. That's what everyone else has done, and it clearly doesn't work. So the question is-" he turned and pressed his palms into the table in front of him, leaning forward with an impish grin. "-how can we humiliate her?"

"Ooh, I'm liking where this is going," Nya smirked. It was true, the snake needed to be taught a valuable lesson. After seeing the fury and disgust in Jay's eyes as her group insulted him and his relationship with Cole, the master of water was more than happy to assist in her degradation. "We can't go too far, though. Nothing physical. Kirsten's evil, but she's not the type of evil that can be defeated with a kick to the head. We'd get suspended for that."

"We won't need to fight her, she's just a brat who thinks she can get what she wants by manipulating everyone." The black-haired boy nodded in agreement. "But..." He reached into the backpack that was on the counter and pulled out a container of orbs in every color of the rainbow. Each sphere was only about a half-inch thick, and seemed to be made out of some stone or chalk-like material.

"We can use these," Cole said, gesturing to the objects. "They're these new paints that Borg Industries came up with during a collab with the Institute. Apparently one of the teachers is teaching a modern unit that involves shooting paint balls at a canvas... Anyway, because they wanted to make them more like watercolors than regular paint, they'll only burst if you add water."

"I think I see where you're going with this," the girl laughed. Nya let the ideas wash over her, wondering where and when they would be getting their revenge.

"But you haven't even heard the best part," the earth wielder interjected. "I can put them anywhere and use my quake powers to force them in the air, then you come in-"

"And we cover her in paint!" the grey ninja shouted with glee. "Nobody would know it was us!" Cole crossed his arms with a triumphant attitude. Nya picked up an orb and examined it. It was rich violet in color, glinting slightly in the light coming through the windows.

"When are we gonna do this?" she asked, setting it back down.

"Tomorrow, at lunch," her teammate replied. The girl giggled and raised her hand, receiving a high-five.

"Kirsten's going down," she grinned.

* * *

The lunch bell rang, and Jay stood from his desk. Cole and Nya insisted that he go on to the cafeteria, and he reluctantly went off with Kai, Lloyd, and Zane. There had been something odd going on in the atmosphere. A sense of foreboding hung over the two he had just left behind like a fog. They had been whispering to each other all day and stealing looks at him, and Jay wondered what they were saying about him behind his back. The two shared facial expressions that told him they were plotting something. Jay could only hope that Cole and Nya were not about to do anything overly bold, as they were prone to do.

A screech in front of him stopped him in his tracks, and a chorus of gasps followed. Kirsten stood in front of her locker, shock registered on her face as she stared at the bent metal. Some new lockers had been installed over the past month, so nobody second-guessed any banging sounds they heard. However, the noises that had occurred over the past hour must have been a vandal's hammer against the door. Her books and papers were all covered in lines from spray paint and markers. Graffiti was scribbled all over the walls and red surfaces, each patch sporting some demeaning statement about the socialite. Janitors were trying to usher people away, scrambling to clean everything up. The paint was still fresh, so as they scrubbed the black liquid streaked down the walls like mascara.

"What the hell?" Kirsten screamed. Everyone was buzzing with surprise as her posse rushed to her aid. A circle of murmuring students formed around the crime scene, despite the efforts of the staff. Eventually, the custodians left to go find teachers who had not already started their lunch break. The teens rushed to get pictures of the display before them, becoming an ocean of extended phones and raucous voices.

"Who could have done this?" Zane wondered aloud. Lloyd responded with a shrug, resting a hand on his chin in thought. The blue ninja swiveled his entire body and scanned the crowd, finally landing on Nya and Cole, who were to his left on the inner edge of the circle. They must have managed to squeeze their way to the front like them after they heard the scream. It was only their nature to leap into action as ninja, so they naturally were able to worm into the heart of the throng. Jay's eyes landed on the duo's faces, which were stricken with confusion, terror, and an undeniable shade of satisfaction.

"It was probably Naomi!" said a voice behind him above the chaos.

"Nah, girl, it was Josh Beckinger!" another roared above the gossiping.

"No, it was him!" Kirsten's voice rang out, although the master of lightning did not look to see who she was talking about. He was too fixated on his boyfriend's eyes, which were darting everywhere throughout the scene. He looked _happy_ that this had happened to her. Suddenly, the earth master's focus snapped towards him.

"Jay, look out!" Cole cried.

A sudden force slammed into Jay's cheek and knocked him to the ground. His body crashed with a gasp, shock rendering him unable to cushion his fall with his arms. The crowd suddenly erupted in a simultaneous "Oh!" as Kai, Lloyd, and Zane knelt beside him. However, they were unable to stop whoever had punched him from dragging him back to his feet by his hair.

The sneering face of Tony Ijimekko greeted him as he scrambled to escape, hissing at the pain he received from the grip on his curls. The council treasurer growled and raised his fist again, shouting, "This is what you get for screwing with Kirsten!"

" _Hey!_ " The blue ninja was dropped and pushed aside as Tony was suddenly punched in the jaw. The lightning wielder fell onto his rear, and looked up to find that Cole was fighting the jock. Tony used to be on the football team, but even if he was really athletic, the black master was much better suited for a fight. The two threw punches, with the ninja dodging each one he received while he landed every attack. Cole swung his leg and collided his foot with his opponent's sternum. It made Tony take in a few wheezing breaths before returning to the match. Kai pulled his blue teammate backwards as the ring of people expanded, although the freckled boy was too concentrated on the action in front of him to stand.

The two boys circled each other, brows drawn and snarling. Tony leapt first, but his adversary was ready for his lumbering charge. Cole grabbed his arm and flipped him over his shoulder. At this point, it was obvious that the council member was down for the count, so a few more boys ran into the mix. The master of earth took them all on in a fit of rage, matching them blow for blow until every student suddenly ran away from the brawl. Lloyd and Zane helped the fire user drag Jay away as school security guards grabbed Cole and the other fighters.

"Cole!" he called out, reaching out his hand as his friends pulled him to safety. His partner seemed to hear his voice, because he stopped struggling against the officers as they tugged him out of reach of the others. Jay could not hear him, but he could see him mouth his name with a saddened expression as he disappeared around a corner.

"It'd kinda help if you actually moved your feet, Jay!" Kai grumbled. He regained his senses and fled with everyone else, moving into the cafeteria and waiting for Nya to catch up. She had been pushed in a different direction than everyone else, and it took her a little longer to reach them. When she entered the room, she appeared mortified.

"That wasn't supposed to happen," she mumbled to the group as they all sat down together. Jay perked up at that statement.

"Then what _was?_ " he asked. "Was this what you and Cole were talking about all day?" The master of water sighed and sat back, rolling a grape between her fingers.

"Well, Cole and I were gonna prank Kirsten, as revenge," she started. Immediately, everyone else groaned, desperately hoping that they were not the culprits behind the vandalism. "It's not what you think! We were just gonna do a little paint bombing thing, and it was gonna be right now at lunch! We had _nothing_ to do with this!"

"But now Cole is getting in trouble for the fight," Jay mumbled sadly. "What if he gets suspended?"

"He will," Zane piped up. He shrunk back however when the rest of the team turned to leer at him. "Apologies, that wasn't very helpful."

"Its okay," the lightning master sighed. "I'm just scared that Cole's gonna do something stupid out of revenge. Then he'll get in even more trouble.

"Aww," Nya cooed, ruffling his curls. "You're all worried about your boyfriend. That's so sweet!" Jay chuckled nervously and ate his lunch with a queasy feeling. He did his best to keep a positive outlook, but the knowledge that his partner had gotten into a fight over him gnawed at his stomach.

After lunch concluded, he had to dodge whispers and rumors regarding the black ninja. The afternoon passed with so many questions and so few answers that his head spun. As he waited for Nya to finish packing up from her last class, he fell into even more troubled thoughts about Cole. How would he explain the situation to Wu? He already had a fairly rocky relationship with his father, so how would Lou react? When did his suspension end?

"Jay!" the water elemental shouted. "I've been calling your name for the last thirty seconds. Are you okay?" Jay fumbled for his keys, brushing past his friend and opening the exit doors.

"I'm fine!" he laughed. "Just a bit shaken up." They traversed the parking lot and hopped in his truck, chatting about what they were going to do about Cole.

"I guess I'll just wait until he can come back to school to go see him," the blue ninja sighed. "He's definitely grounded."

"Oh, bull!" Nya smirked. "You're gonna be texting him as soon as you get home to meet up with him! I know that look. You wanna make sure he's okay."

"Is that a crime?" Jay shot back with a grin.

"No, not at all," the noirette giggled. "Cole's your _boyfriend_ , Jay. You're allowed to be worried about him." He dropped her off at tennis practice then drove the rest of the way home. He had barely parked when he dove from the vehicle, anxiously grabbing his book bag and sprinting up to the flat. The blue master flopped on his bed and pulled out his phone, rapidly texting the black-haired boy.

 _r u ok?_ was all he sent, but he knew it conveyed his unease. He held his breath when the 'currently typing' bubble popped up, only releasing it when a message appeared.

 _i'm fine Jay. how bout u?_

 _got a bruise on my cheek but i know youve got it worse_

 _ur right_ Cole texted, taking a moment to continue typing. _kiss it better please?_ Jay huffed a small laugh under his breath and felt heat rise to his cheeks.

 _(0_ / _/_ / _0) id love to but youre grounded_ he finally replied.

 _howd you know that?_

 _cole you got into a fight. i know your dad he probably grounded you right away_

 _eh whatever. i may be grounded but at least i got to be ur knight in shining armor_ The blue ninja had to laugh at that, knowing that the corny line was certainly an exaggeration. _speaking of knight in shining armor_ There was a long pause after that message, leaving the freckled boy to wonder what exactly he meant. A sudden succession of tapping at his window startled him, and when he turned around he saw Cole crouching there, hanging onto the top edge of the sill with one arm as he waved. It was unlike him, but he was wearing a loose-fitting black sweatshirt with a Twenty-Two Captains logo on the front.

"Oh my god!" Jay gasped, quickly sprinting to the side of his room and opening the window. "Cole, good lord you could've gotten hurt!"

"It would've been worth it to see your face," the earth master chuckled as he slid inside. "You looked so scared."

"Don't tease me!" the shorter boy whined, wrapping his arms around his partner and squeezing him out of worry. "How did you even get here?"

"Snuck out," Cole grinned. "Jumped across rooftops until I got here."

"You were using your ninja abilities in _broad daylight?_ " Jay nearly yelled. "Sensei's gonna kill you when he finds out!" The black ninja held up a finger with a smirk.

" _If_ he finds out, bluebird," he said. His boyfriend groaned, taking a good look at the black-haired boy. He had a few dark patches on his olive-skinned face, but his eyes were sparkling with vigor. "But I didn't come here to talk about Sensei. I'm here for you."

"What was so important that you had to escape your house?"

"Well, my dad technically already took my phone, so I wasn't even supposed to have that with me in the first place. I just wanna see you in person."

"Cole..."

"I know you're freaking out, but I only want a few kisses before I can't see you for a week. My dad'll be watching me like a hawk once he gets back home, so I doubt I'll be able to get past him... Unless..." The earth user shifted his weight and cleared his throat, rather uncharacteristically embarrassed. "When he's gone, he thinks I don't have a reason to go out, so he trusts me to stay home. He's supposed to be visiting his old college friend tomorrow, but he'll be back later in the afternoon. I could sneak out and come here every day he's out late, then sneak back before he gets home." Jay let out a nervous, flustered chuckle.

"What is this, Romeo and Juliet?" he grinned. Cole looked him in the eye, dead-serious but still happy to be around his boyfriend. The blue ninja noticed the truth behind his companion's proposal and considered it for a moment. "Are you sure you won't get caught?"

"I'm a ninja, Jay. I'm supposed to be stealthy," his partner replied eagerly. "How 'bout it, bluebird? Will you be my Juliet?" He was nervous, as he usually was, but he still readily complied.

"Only if you'll be my Romeo," he giggled. When Cole nodded, the master of lightning slowly stepped forward and rested his head on the taller boy's collarbone, feeling warm and secure arms wrap around him in a silent reply. They breathed in sync and rocked side to side, listening to the soft rushing sounds of the city as they poured in through the window. It felt like it had been years since the two had been able to experience such a tranquil moment, although it had only been a day since they had been in the room alone together. The black master's hands suddenly dove for his sides, tickling him without mercy.

"Ha ha! Wait wait-ha! Y-You know I'm- ha ha ha!" Jay shouted and spluttered between his laughter, squirming away from the tingling sensations. Finally, when he was about to fall over from the overwhelming feeling, Cole stopped. He was smirking down at him with a devilish attitude, making him wriggle under the alluring gaze. "Way to kill the mood."

"Nah, I'd say this is a victory," the taller ninja smiled, leaning his face forward. "I've got you right where I want you." In a sudden but not unwanted movement, he captured the shorter boy's lips with his own. It was not forceful or rash, but the kiss melded them together in an action of pure affection. Jay lazily looped his arms around Cole's neck and allowed himself to be held by his hips. His heart fluttered, unsure of what to do next. He had never really been in a relationship that had reached such an openly passionate point before.

"Aren't you warm in all that?" the black ninja asked against his lips. "I mean, all I've got underneath this sweatshirt's the tank I wore earlier. You've got all these layers on." The smaller of the two panicked, understanding the gravity of the bold statement.

"A-Are you asking me t-to… uh… take my clothes off for you?" Jay mumbled. Cole's eyes grew wide, and he took in a sharp breath.

"Oh! No no no, I wasn't… I'm sorry bluebird. I didn't mean it like that I was actually just worried about you being too hot in that stuff," he tried to backtrack. "I'd never ask you to do that, 'cuz I know you're uncomfortable with that kinda thing." The flush over his partner's cheeks entertained the lightning wielder. With a little shrug, he pulled his arms back and slowly undid his orange accessory.

"Well, you're right," the blue master nearly whispered. "I should stop wearing all this, since it's getting warmer." He sluggishly removed his signature scarf and sweater, tossing them delicately to the side. Now he sported the white button-up that he usually wore underneath.

"You look cute in that," Cole pointed out.

"What, I don't always look cute?" Jay tried to joke, but was so nervous that it came out as an almost genuine-sounding question. In response, the black-clad boy gingerly pressed his hands against his partner's shoulders and walked him back a few feet until his back was flush against the wall. It felt odd, to be suddenly so unaware of his surroundings in favor of paying attention to every minute detail of this physical experience.

"You're the cutest thing I've ever seen," the earth user mumbled low. His tanned and calloused hand brushed over his freckled jaw and cheek before settling on his chin. He tilted Jay's face up to meet his and kissed slow and steadily. They deftly parted to breathe, then returned to the contact in a more smooth manner. It felt astonishing, it felt loving, it felt like he was being treasured, it felt like the wall might give way and they'd just drift into nothingness, it felt positively _wonderful_. The kisses were not somewhat rushed like the other day, rather they were filled with a deep connection that sang, "I have trusted you with my life, but I also trust you with my heart." The hand by his head was keeping him more nestled than trapped. The presence in front of him was a wall of soft comfort, not an object of romance. Everything was perfect.

 _Click._

"Jay, are you- _oh goodness!_ " Edna's voice suddenly threw them out of their passionate daze. The two sprang off of each other, with Cole being a little more reluctant than Jay. "Oh, I… Terribly sorry, dear, I'll just… Afternoon, Cole."

"Hey, Mrs. Walker," the black master smiled coyly. "Sorry about that."

 _How can you be so calm?_ the smaller ninja shouted in his own head. _My mom just_ walked in _on us!_

"Oh, no no, it was my fault, hon," the florist beamed back, obvious embarrassment gracing her features as she adjusted her glasses. "U-Uh, d'ya need anything?" Finally, Jay broke through his shock, darting forward with a tight throat and a blush.

" _Ma!_ " he yelled- almost screeched, really, backing his mother up with almost trembling hands. " _Get out! Knock for god's sake!_ "

"Sorry! S-So sorry!" the woman stumbled, quickly exiting. "I'm going! I'm going!" The lightning user slammed the door, whirling back around with clenched teeth and fists at his sides. Cole simply continued to smirk, hands nonchalantly placed on his hips in a nearly snarky pose. Jay drew a sharp breath through his nose, pursing his lips with shame.

"Oh my god," he muttered, voice wavering. "She just… she _saw_ …" The master of earth laughed, leaving the shorter boy to wallow in his anxiety.

"You're adorable," Cole chuckled, holding out his hand until his partner took it.

"Aren't you embarrassed?" Jay asked, allowing himself to be pulled into a soothing hug.

"Of course I'm embarrassed," his boyfriend replied. "I just think it's funny."

"Wh- it's not!" the lightning ninja blubbered. He clung to his companion's hoodie, fingers gathering the plush material as if he were scrabbling for purchase on a cliffside. "That's the single stupidest thing I've ever done in my life!" There was a sudden shift in the taller elemental master's posture, but he still held his sweetheart close.

"So, you didn't like it?"

"N-No, of course I _liked_ it, but… I forgot th-they were home…"

"Aw, Jay," the earth user cooed, running his palm over his back in calming motions. "I'm sorry. I should've at least asked if your parents were here. All I wanted was a kiss or two… I should get going." His tone was not sad, but rather sympathetic. The blue ninja moved to protest, but Cole pressed his lips to his forehead, satiating him immediately.

"I'll see you around," the black master mumbled, tucking a lock of Jay's hair behind his ear. "Keep your window open. My suspension lasts for a week, so I'll be here a few times."

"Cole…" Jay trailed off, reaching out as the his teammate stepped over to the sill again. The black-haired boy paused, turning to face his boyfriend once more. He did not know what to say next, so he just sheepishly withdrew his hand. "Goodbye." Cole grinned sadly, then hopped up backwards onto the ledge. The lightning elemental took a step closer, ready to watch him leave and make sure he did not hurt himself as he bounded over the rooftops. However, the earth wielder unexpectedly pulled his sweatshirt off and handed it to Jay, then stole a quick peck.

"How 'bout you hold onto that for me?" he smirked, leaving the blue boy speechless. "Bye." He hoisted himself up, and the blue ninja could hear his footsteps above the ceiling until the noises ceased. He had obviously jumped. Jay could still feel the ghost of the swift kiss as a tingling sensation in his lips. With stunned, slow movements, he clutched the black garment to his chest, feeling its lingering warmth and catching the faint scent of his partner. Cole always insisted that he hated wearing the cologne his father had brought him after one of his tours, yet it was rather common for him to carry the sharp yet alluring fragrance. It was like pine potpourri, but more distinct than musky. It seemed foolish, especially since only moments ago he had taken off his own sweater, nevertheless he pulled the band merch over his head and slipped his arms through the sleeves. It was a little large on him, so it was easy to drown in the comfort that substituted for his boyfriend's embrace. He did not know what this next week would bring, but he was ready to face all the buzz that was bound to surround him at school.


End file.
